The Music of the Violin
by CranesFlyHighOvertheSky
Summary: Amu has lung cancer. She starts to lose hope when one day, she meets Ikuto. Amu likes to hear Ikuto play his violin. Ikuto likes to constantly tease Amu. How will this turn out? Good? Bad? AMUTO!
1. Lost

**Alright! Another story! This time it is NOT **Pokémon **though. I took a loooonnngggg rest, and now I'm going to try and write stories again. Sorry that none of my stories are "complete". I just cannot manage to finish any of them. BUT I WILL FINISH THIS STORY. I promise I'll write this story until the very end. By the way, "Onee tan" means sister. Also, I don't own Shugo Chara. Okay, enough "talk", and let's launch into my new story!**

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><p>It was a Monday morning, and bright sunshine shone through my tiny hospital window. My eyes were closed shut, but I could feel the warm sunshine on my back. I was lying on my hospital bed, my arms by my side. My pillow was on top of my desk beside me. The little room was very hot, and I was sweating. I couldn't sleep yesterday, and I felt tired and thirsty. It felt like I was in a desert, lost, walking miles and miles without any water or food. Lost...yes... That was the perfect word that described me right now. Not knowing what to do. Seeking for answers, but not getting any. When could I play outside in the sunshine like the other children? Could I ever rise out of this bed? What was life like for the normal kids? Would I have to stay in this bed doing nothing but watching television, eating, or sleeping? Still closing my eyes, I turned around and grabbed the pillow that was on top of my desk. I hugged the pillow tightly with my arms, hoping that this was all a dream, and not reality.<p>

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><p>"Onee tan!" said little Ami, walking and dancing at the same time, a very large smile on her face.<p>

"Yes! Ami! We're going on a little trip to the hospital to visit onee tan!" said Mr. Hinamori.

"Hoshipital?" wailed Ami, "No Hoshipital...onee tan!" Ami stopped dancing, and frowned at her father.

"Oh, but Ami, we _are_ visiting onee tan! But onee tan is sick, so she can't come out of that hospital, so we have to go in there for her" said Mrs. Hinamori, sounding a little sad.

"No sots! No sots!" wailed Ami, again.

"Shots?" asked Mrs. Hinamori, "Of course no shots! No medicine, no shots, and no x-ray. Only onee tan" Mrs. Hinamori tried her best to soothe down her child.

"Yay!" said Ami, "Onee tan!"

Ami was smiling more widely than before.

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><p>"We have come to visit Hinamori Amu" said Mrs. Hinamori.<p>

"How are you related to her?" asked the nurse who was working at the front desk.

"We are her parents" said Mrs. Hinamori, pointing to her husband who was playing with Ami.

"Um...alright, just wait a minute" said the nurse, going into the room behind the front desk.

"Onee tan is here?" asked Ami.

"Yes, Ami, just wait a little more, and we can meet her" said Mrs. Hinamori.

The nurse came back out of the room and said, "Amu Hinamori's mother and father right?"

"Yes" said Mrs. Hinamori, while Mr. Hinamori was tickling Ami.

"The doctor would like to meet you two before you go visit your daughter. Please follow me."

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><p>"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Hinamori. It's a pleasure to meet you again" said the doctor, smiling.<p>

"Good morning, Mrs. Yumori" said Mrs. Hinamori, while Mr. Hinamori was _still _tickling Ami.

"Well, today I wanted to talk to you about your daughter's condition. We took a x-ray of her lungs yesterday..." said Mrs. Yumori.

"Will she be able to get better?" asked Mrs. Hinamori, a worried expression on her face.

"Well, we'll just have to watch over her for a couple of days, and see if anybody's blood type _and_ immune type is the same as her..." said Mrs. Yumori.

"Okay" said Mrs. Hinamori, nodding sadly.

"Whee! Ami!" said Mr. Hinamori, spinning around a laughing Ami around and around.

"Um, are you listening, Tsumugu?" asked Mrs. Hinamori, sighing.

"Of course, I'm listening. Come here, Ami little princess. YAYYYY!" said Mr. Hinamori.

"Alright... anyway, we'll go visit Amu. Thank you, Mrs. Yumori" said Mrs. Hinamori.

"Oh, wait a moment. I have a special method that I use when people have cancer. It doesn't work sometimes...but I think it might work on Amu" said Mrs. Yumori, winking.

"We'll do anything that can make Amu feel even a little better", surprisingly it was Mr. Hinamori who spoke up this time.

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><p>It was about 10.00 A.M. when there was a knock at my door.<p>

"Amu?" someone called, "Are you in there?"

It was my mother's voice. She gently opened the door, and came in with Ami and my father.

"Onee tan!" said Ami, sounding excited as usual. She jumped onto my bed, and started bouncing up and down, making me feel a bit dizzy.

"Ami, don't do that, remember your onee tan is still sick. Let's play with daddy. Whee!" said my father.

"Amu, how are you feeling today?" asked my mother, after my father took Ami out of my room.

I slowly opened my eyes, and saw my mother's smiling face in front of me.

"I feel fine" I lied even though I felt the pain in my chest, trying to burst out of me.

"Well, Amu, we decided that music might make you feel better. You like the singer named Hoshina Utau right?"

"Mom, that was a long time ago, and-" I said.

"Oh, but Mrs. Yumori said that you loved her! She said you watched her every time she came out on TV, and"

I didn't hear the rest of the sentence and was dozing off, when my mom suddenly shook me.

"Amu?" asked my mom, "Did you hear what I said? So, from now on everyday, a"

I slowly closed my eyes and the last words I heard was "violin" and "music".

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><p><strong>Yay! First chap. fin.! How was it? Was it too short? Should I put more details in it? Remember this is only the first chapter. Ikuto is coming out next chapter or the chapter after that. Please review!<strong>


	2. Deal

It was early in the morning, and Mrs. Yumori was talking to a woman with long midnight-blue hair in a coffee shop.

"Oh, please! Can you let me borrow him? I just know it'll work this time! I'm sure!" said Mrs. Yumori, pleading to the woman in front of her.

"This is the twentieth time you said that. Seriously, every time you "borrow" Ikuto something _bad _happens. For example, the hospital room is too small for two people, Ikuto _accidentally _hits a fragile vase with his elbow or something, the vase drops on the patient, and...You know the rest of it." replied the woman, sighing at the memory of the accident.

"I think it'll work this time though! Music is the cure to cancer. I know it! Plus, this girl's parents also consented to this special method!" said Mrs. Yumori, trying to convince the woman in front of her.

"Just because it helped _you_ get healed, it doesn't mean that _everyone in the whole entire world _would get healed. It's just people who _love_ music. Plus, scientifically music doesn't _heal _cancer. Some people _hate_ music" said the woman, trying to give reasons why this wasn't a good idea.

"Well, scientifically if you do something you _really _like, you can survive even the most deadly illness" said Mrs. Yumori.

"Alright then, does this girl that you're trying to cure actually _like_ music?" asked the woman.

"Of course!" said Mrs. Yumori, "I wouldn't have suggested this plan in the first place if she didn't like music. She loves to hear people singing, and-"

"I mean with no vocals. Ikuto doesn't _sing_" said the woman, rolling her eyes.

"Uh, I never thought of that. Sorry, but I still think that the sound of the violin will at least cheer Amu up. Please?" Mrs. Yumori asked.

"...Alright." said the woman.

"Yes!" shouted Mrs. Yumori, victorious.

"But with just one condition" said the woman.

"What is it?" asked Mrs. Yumori.

"It's that you have to stay beside this girl while Ikuto plays the violin" said the woman.

"Okay" said Mrs. Yumori.

"It's a deal. You are responsible for the accidents. Not me." said the woman.

"Oh, don't worry. You won't end up paying $50,000 like the last time I borrowed Ikuto" said Mrs. Yumori.

"Don't bring out that subject. I think I'm going to change my mind" said the woman.

"Oh, sorry!" said Mrs. Yumori, "Also, thank you Souko. Thank you for letting me borrow Ikuto"

"Your welcome...also, don't call me Souko. Call me Ikuto's mother" said the woman.

"But you also have a-" said Mrs. Yumori.

"Just, I feel like it today" said the woman, smiling.

"Alright, anyway, bye Souko" said Mrs. Yumori.

"Whatever. You're hopeless. Never listening to me" said the woman, sighing.

"I know. I know." said Mrs. Yumori, smiling.

"Amu, it's time to eat your breakfast!" said the nurse who was in charge of me.

I sighed. The nurse was too hyper. Every time she came into my room something happened. Yesterday, she dropped a spoon on the floor. That wasn't too bad, but last week she accidentally spilled porridge all over my bed and on me. I had to move to another room, shower until the smell of the porridge was gone, and change into a brand new set of clothes. That kind of drained my energy, and I ended up sleeping for the rest of the day. Not so good.

"Alright, here's your porridge! Whoa! Wait don't fall porridge! No wait!" shouted the nurse.

The tray with the bowl of porridge slipped out of her hands, hit the glass vase full of flowers next to me, and thankfully fell on the floor, and not me.

"Um...I think porridge with glass, flowers, and water will also be tasty" said the nurse, a sheepish smile on her face.

I decided not to say anything.

"Should I clean this up, or you can eat it. It looks delicio-" said the nurse.

"No thank you. I think you can clean it up..." I said.

As you can see, my nurse is a little weird. I think her imagination is a little _too_ big.

"Ikuto, please...it's my friend's request" said Souko.

"I thought you learned your lesson after paying $50,000 and saying "sorry" to the patient about sixty times" said Ikuto, lying on the couch looking lazy.

"Um, yes...I did learn my lesson. I know it's a crazy idea, but I said "yes" to my friend. I promise I won't make you do this ever again. Just this once." said Souko.

"I thought you said that last time" said Ikuto.

"Alright then...here's the deal. Just go there this once, and if you don't like it then you don't need to go there ever again. Also, I promise I'll do anything you want if you do this" said Souko, wondering why she said that at the same time.

"Anything I want? It's a deal" said Ikuto, already thinking about all the awful things he could ask for.

"Alright...deal. You have to go to the hospital tomorrow" said Souko, thinking about the awful things her son would ask for.

**Second chapter finish! This chapter was a little confusing and weird. Sorry if you couldn't understand what I was writing in some parts. Anyway, Amu is meeting Ikuto in the next chapter! Yay! I'll update A.S.A.P.**


	3. Unlocked

**Yay! Another chapter! Let's jump into the chapter right away! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>It was a very peaceful Saturday, and I had a feeling that nothing could go wrong on such a nice day. For once, the nurse didn't make any mistakes, and I spent the morning and the afternoon watching the singer Hoshina Utau on TV. She is the most famous singer nowadays, but I would never admit to anyone that I like to hear her sing. My little sister Ami also loves her, and it would be kind of childish if I liked the same singer as my little sister. Don't get me wrong though, I absolutely love Hoshina Utau and her songs. Anyway, Hoshina Utau was singing my favorite song on TV, when there was a small knock on my door. This is where my day started to get a little bit <em>complicated. <em>

"Amu, I came for another visit!" said my mother, closing the door behind her.

Only my mom had come in, and Ami and my dad was nowhere to be seen.

As if answering my question my mom said, "Your father and Ami are at Hoshina Utau's concert. They would have gone with you if you hadn't-"

"Its fine...I don't like Hoshina Utau anyway" I quickly replied, not trying to meet her gaze.

"But I have a special guest that came from the neighborhood that you might like to meet." said my mom.

"Uh, okay" I said, kind of doubtfully.

"Alright then...I'll go out and have coffee with Mrs. Yumori's friend while this person entertains you. Don't worry, Mrs. Yumori will be with you in this room" said my mom, smiling.

As soon as she closed the door to my room I had a very bad feeling that something unpleasant was going to happen. My mother's _ideas_ usually didn't have good results. I decided to wait in my bed, and just prepare for this unknown guest to come into my room.

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><p>Soon after my mom left my room, a boy about six years older than me came into my room. He had midnight-blue hair, and he had a violin strapped to his back. As soon as he came in, he locked the door, and I heard shouting outside of my room. My first thought when I saw him was something like this<em>: Is he a criminal? Where's the telephone! Call 911! No was it 119? No! Was it 178? I don't remember<em>! I guess he saw me panicking, because he smirked at me in a extremely evil/wicked/unpleasant way. In other words he looked really scary.

"Ikuto, open this door! This isn't funny! Souko's going to literally _kill _me if I don't watch over you! I'm serious! OPEN THIS DOOR!" I heard Mrs. Yumori shout.

"Well, since my mother went to the cafe to drink coffee, I guess you have a few more hours" said this boy named Ikuto.

"Ikuto, I told you, OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" shouted Mrs. Yumori.

"No" said Ikuto, keeping his answer short.

"Fine...in at least 30 minutes?" asked Mrs. Yumori, pleading now.

Ikuto sighed, and then looked at me. His eyes were also midnight-blue, and he had a cat-like expression on his face. I heard Mrs. Yumori's footsteps outside the door, and Hoshina Utau singing on the TV at the same time. I just sat there shocked, trying to comprehend what was happening to me right now.

"So, you're that girl that has lung cancer, huh?" said Ikuto, looking kind of bored.

I just glared at him, straight in the eye, trying not to look terrified. Ikuto glanced around the room, and his eyes landed on the TV.

"So, you like my sister, huh?" said Ikuto, still looking bored.

"I don't like your sister! Wait? You what-" I shouted, a little confused.

"My sister" said Ikuto, "Hoshina Utau. She's a singer" said Ikuto, still looking bored.

"You're lying" I said.

"Why do you think so?" said Ikuto, looking at me.

"Hoshina Utau is better than a thing-a-ma-bob who comes into someone else's room, locks the door, and refuses to do what an adult tells you to do" I said, with sudden confidence.

"That hurts. I'm not a thing-a-ma-bob. I have a heart that is beating inside me, and lungs that help me breathe _normally_, unlike a certain someone" said Ikuto, a challenging look on his face now.

That was the last straw. I was not going to let this Ikuto person ruin my day by insulting me, locking my room, and insulting Hoshina Utau by calling her his sister. My fear was replaced by anger, burning anger.

"You don't know anything! You've never even had lung cancer! You don't even know how I feel like!" I shouted angrily.

"I know. I know how you feel" said Ikuto, looking at the floor.

"What?" I said, calming down a little, confused.

"I said I know exactly how you feel like" said Ikuto, with a mysterious expression on his face.

"Get out! I...need a rest" I said, feeling dizzy because of all the shouting.

"...Alright" said Ikuto, to my surprise.

Ikuto slowly walked to the door, but not before hitting vase number sixty-two that was on the desk next to me. I wasn't so lucky this time and it crashed down on my lap. It soaked my blanket completely, and my lap was numb.

"Wait, you-" I said, trying to find the worst possible word I could call him.

Ikuto just ignored me, and went out of my room as if nothing significant had happened.

This was the first time I met Ikuto, and I knew I had un-locked something I could never lock back.

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><p>"Just 1 minute and 28 seconds left" said Mrs. Yumori, counting exactly 30 minutes in her head.<p>

Ikuto burst out of the room and slammed it behind him.

"Ikuto, thank goodness your mother didn't come back yet. Alright, let's go into Amu's room, and everything will be just fine" said Mrs. Yumori, sighing in relief.

"I'm already done visiting her. I'll come again when I feel like it" said Ikuto, smiling mischievously.

"What? Wait, if we don't stay here your mom's go-" said Mrs. Yumori, before she realized that Ikuto was no longer in front of her.

"Uh...Ikuto? I guess he walked away...I shouldn't have closed my eyes while I was speaking...I had a habit of doing that...he he..." said Mrs. Yumori, speaking to herself.

"I heard that" said Souko, right behind Mrs. Yumori, glaring at her.

"What! Wait. I can explain...uh Ikuto locked the door...and" said Mrs. Yumori, walking backwards, slowly to the wall.

"Oh, it's fine. As long as the patient is safe, it's fine" said Souko, slowly following Mrs. Yumori.

"Eh, I think she's okay..." said Mrs. Yumori.

"Oh, you _think _she's okay. How about we have a little chat over there?" said Souko, smiling innocently.

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><p><strong>Alright! Another chapter finished. I'm sorry if the dialogue is bad. I suck at writing dialogues. *sighs* Anyway, I tried to write down everything that was in my head. If anything doesn't make sense, then well, it's the thing called use your imagination! Yay! Okay, that was weird. Anyway, please review! I'll update A.S.A.P.<strong>


	4. Expression

**Alright! Another chapter! I really hope I can finish this story before school starts! I might not be able to update this fast if school starts! Okay, that was repetitive. Anyway, let's start this chapter! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>The next few days after Ikuto's visit was a <em>disaster<em>. Every time Ikuto came to visit he leaned against the wall and did nothing while Mrs. Yumori kept on nagging him to play his violin. Ikuto never _ever _played. Mrs. Yumori always had keys in her pocket, just in case Ikuto locked the door again. She had learned not to anger Souka anymore. I was just fine with everything, except for the fact that Ikuto always _had _to break the vase full flowers next to me before he went out of my room. I just knew he was doing this on purpose. Mrs. Yumori was too scared of Souka to do anything except to call a nurse to clean the mess. As for me, no one would believe me when I said that Ikuto kept breaking the vases. They all said Ikuto was too _nice _to do that. Even my family said the same thing. So one day, I decided not to put the vase on my desk. That was my mistake.

Ikuto convinced Mrs. Yumori that throwing rocks on my TV would make me feel better, because of the crashing sound. I didn't think Mrs. Yumori would _actually _believe that, but she did. So, that was the last day I ever saw my TV again. So, that was the pattern. Morning: I wake up, do my regular check-ups, and the nurse spills porridge on the ground or on me. Afternoon: My family comes for a visit, and I eat lunch. Evening: Ikuto comes for a visit, breaks _something _before he goes out of my room, the day is finally over, and I go to sleep. I got so used to the pattern that I didn't care anymore about Ikuto or what he did. Until one day, the pattern broke.

It was a very peaceful evening, and it was 9:00 P.M. For the first time, Ikuto didn't come for a visit. I believed that was the reason why everything was so quiet and serene. I was lying on my bed ready to go to sleep, when I heard music. I sat up, and listened to the sound again. It was a beautiful melody, except I felt a little sad at the same time. I decided to figure out who was making the music. It was past curfew, so I would be in big trouble if I got caught, but I had to figure out who was making this sound. I got out of my bed, and tiptoed out of my room.

The hallways were dark, and no one was walking around except me. I slowly wandered around the hospital, and decided the music was coming from the little garden outside of the hospital. I came out of the hospital and spotted a boy playing the violin in the garden. As I got closer, I realized that it was Ikuto. I sat down on the soft grass to listen, when the music suddenly stopped.

"Aren't you supposed to be in your room by this time?" asked Ikuto.

I mentally sighed. Why did he have to stop the music?

"Well, you shouldn't be playing your violin at 9:00P.M...when everybody in the hospital is trying to sleep" I said, even though my mind was screaming: _No! I said the wrong thing for the 1000th time in my life! That was not what I was going to say!_

"Alright then, I'll stop playing" said Ikuto.

"Uh, well, I guess its okay to play for about 30 more minutes" I quickly said.

"I thought you said that I shouldn't play" said Ikuto, slowly coming closer.

"Well, I-" I said, not knowing what to say.

"Alright, I'll play if you promise me something" said Ikuto, leaning closer until his face was right in front of mine.

"Um-" I said, blushing.

Then Ikuto laughed out loud. I never heard him laughing, and I was shocked.

"It's so fun to tease you" said Ikuto, still laughing.

I fumed with anger. "Stop laughing like that!" I said.

"You have this really funny expression on your face every time I break something in your room, but this one's even funnier" said Ikuto _still _laughing.

I literally wanted to _kill _him.

"I'll come visit tomorrow too" said Ikuto. He started walking away, and turned around and winked at me.

I blushed _again_. Ikuto laughed again.

"You better NOT come back tomorrow! Ikuto! I warned you! DO-NOT-EVER-COME-BACK-INTO-MY-ROOM!" I shouted after him.

Ikuto ignored me, laughing while I shouted at him.

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><p><strong>Okay, sorry, really short. But I thought this would be a good place to end this chapter. But I promise I'll try to update soon! Review please! Thank you!<strong>


	5. Relationship

**New chapter! I'm running out of ideas! He he...but I'll figure it out sometime. Anyway, new chapter! Yay! Fifth chapter! I decided to revise every chapter carefully from now on, so it might take a few more days to update. Let's get started now! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>Ikuto comes everyday to visit me despite my warning. He never knocks on my door, and he doesn't inform Mrs. Yumori that he had come for a visit. So nowadays, Ikuto comes into my room alone, while Mrs. Yumori doesn't even know Ikuto is in my room. The only reason I don't make Ikuto get out of my room, is that he plays the violin for me, every time he visits. I try not to look like I'm enjoying the music, but I think he already knows that I do. I think Ikuto plays the violin just to rub in the fact that I like to hear the sound that his instrument makes. Ikuto always teases me too. He comments on how childish my book is or how I still like to play with stickers. At one point, it got so annoying, that I pushed him in my closet, locked it, and forgot to let him go until the next morning. So day by day, it went on like this, until Hoshina Utau came for a little <em>talk <em>with me one day.

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><p>I was lying on my bed, my eyes closed, and it was about 6:00 A.M. That was when loud footsteps outside my door rudely woke me up from my peaceful sleep. I heard the door of my room bang open, and someone's footsteps echoed through the silent room. I sleepily opened my eyes, slowly sat up on my bed, and saw Hoshina Utau in front of me. I thought I was dreaming, so I lied back down on my bed, pulling up the covers for warmth.<p>

"Is your name Amu?" asked Utau, her voice sounded confident.

That was when I realized that this wasn't a dream. I sat up in my bed immediately, and stared at Hoshina Utau as if seeing a large lion in front of me.

"What's wrong with you? Are you deaf?" asked Utau, glaring down at me.

"Are you Hoshina Utau?" I barely managed.

"Isn't it rude to ask people what there name is before telling your own?" said Utau, still glaring down at me.

I slightly frowned. I had overcome my shock, and I had calmed down a little.

"Um, I'm Hinamori Amu. Are you Hoshina Utau?" I asked again.

"So, you're Amu. I came here to tell you to stay away from Ikuto. Nowadays, Ikuto doesn't come to my concerts. He used to come _at least _once a year. It's been four years, and he still didn't come to my concert. Not even _once_. I believe this is because of you, right? Ikuto was too busy looking after you to come to my concerts. I'm sure of it" said Utau, ignoring my question.

"Excuse me? Ikuto started visiting me two weeks ago, and I don't think all this is because of me..." I said. My confidence was failing me the more I looked into Utau's eyes.

"Now you're lying to me" said Utau, looking straight at me as if she could see what was in my heart.

"You don't have any evidence!" I said firmly, trying not to tremble at her glare.

"Well, I do. Ikuto keeps on coming home late, and once he didn't even come back home. I thought something was going on, so I asked one of my managers to investigate what Ikuto did everyday. My manager told me that nothing was out of ordinary except for the fact that Ikuto kept going into the hospital. At first, I thought he was sick, so I asked my mother about him. She told me that there was nothing to worry about, and that Ikuto was just visiting a girl named Amu at the hospital. Well, that had me staring at the ceiling and worrying about Ikuto _all_ night. I couldn't sleep even a little. Four days ago, Ikuto didn't come home until it was morning, and that was the last straw. I tried to come and talk to you about this matter, but I was too busy to. Now I finally came here, Amu. Just what did you do to influence Ikuto this much?" said Utau, not looking like she was out of breath at all.

"Look, I can explain everything. I personally don't need Ikuto to visit me everyday. I-" I managed to say before Utau interrupted me.

"Ikuto visits you everyday? He doesn't even look at me until I go to his room!" said Utau, glaring at me even more.

"Okay, like I said-" I said, before Utau interrupted again.

"Look Amu, I don't need any of your explanations. I just want you to stay out of Ikuto's business, and never ever meet him again! Get it? This is my last warning!" shouted Utau, before she left the room, and closed the door with another bang.

I just stared at the wall in my room, before I started to analyze what had happened just now. This person who was obviously Hoshina Utau had come for a visit. Utau had warned me not to meet Ikuto ever again. What was Utau's relationship to Ikuto anyway? Then it hit me. Ikuto wasn't lying when he had said that Utau was his sister. Utau was Ikuto's sister. That was why she was so worried about him. I felt dazed, as if I had been hit by a shooting star. I lied back down in my bed remembering to talk about this incident with Ikuto, and ask him exactly what was going on. I closed my eyes, and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

That was the first day I had met Utau in person, and she was one of the people I was going to have to deal with starting from now on as my life got more and more complicated.

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><p>"This is just not working! Forget it!" I said throwing the delicate violin across the room for the sixty-fifth time.<p>

Ikuto was teaching me how to play the violin, because I had insisted, and my lesson with Ikuto was not going so well.

Ikuto caught the violin in mid-air, and laughed at me...again.

"I thought you wouldn't give up so easily, and yet you always surprise me" said Ikuto smirking.

"Who said I gave up? Give me the violin! I know I can do it this time" I said, as Ikuto handed me the violin.

I raised my arm to play, and as soon as the bow touched the strings there was an eerie noise vibrating all through the small room.

"I never saw anyone who couldn't play a note on the violin after this much time of practice" said Ikuto, looking at me with challenging eyes.

"Whatever! I'll just try next time. My condition is not very good today!" I said as I ignored Ikuto's look and gave the violin back to him.

There was silence in the room as Ikuto put away his violin.

"Ikuto, remember you said Hoshina Utau is your sister, right? She came to visit me yesterday. She said never to meet you again. What was that about?" I asked as Ikuto closed his violin case.

"She does that all the time. If I get too close to any girl she threatens that girl to stop meeting me. It's a pattern" said Ikuto as if this kind of question was asked everyday.

"We're not close, though. We've only met each other a few months ago. So why did she say those kinds of things to me?" I asked Ikuto.

"That's sad. Saying that we're not close after we've been together every day for almost two weeks" Ikuto said, getting closer to me.

I knew it was a joke, but I couldn't help blushing. Of course, Ikuto laughed...for the twenty-sixth time. I sighed. Ikuto was still laughing as he went out of my room, holding his violin case in his hands. Why did I have to always blush in front of Ikuto?

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 finish! Does this story make sense? I personally think this story might not make sense to you. Well, you can always tell me if this doesn't make sense! Tell me which part doesn't make sense though! Am I too repetitive? Well, please review, and tell me what you think about this story! Thank you!<strong>


	6. Challenged

**Okay! Another chapter! Sorry if all of the chapters are too short. I just can't write long chapters for some kind of reason. Instead, I'll update as fast as I can! Alright! Let's start this chapter! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>"Hmmm..." said Mrs. Yumori looking at the x-ray with intense concentration.<p>

"How is it? Did she get better?" asked Mrs. Hinamori, also looking at the x-ray, trying to figure out what the x-ray portrayed.

Then suddenly Mrs. Yumori smiled.

"Amu's condition is a little better than the last time we took her x-ray. I think she will be able to go outside for one day, and enjoy the fresh air" said Mrs. Yumori, smiling brightly.

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Yumori! Thank you for taking care of Amu so well! I-" said Mrs. Hinamori, before she got interrupted by Mrs. Yumori.

"I don't think it's because of me that Amu got a little better. Amu got better because of all the people who were by her side. Let's go into Amu's room to tell her the good news" said Mrs. Yumori, winking.

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><p>I was sitting up on my bed while I was talking to Ikuto at the same time.<p>

"Ikuto, is it okay if you come here everyday? What if Utau finds out that I'm meeting you again?" I asked, curious.

"It doesn't matter. She'll give up one day" said Ikuto, looking like he was not interested in this kind of subject.

"You know you should go to her concert at least once. She looked really upset about it. It seems like she was searching for a person to blame for your absence" I said, having a little sympathy toward Utau.

"I meet her everyday in my house anyway, and she always clings to me every time she sees me. It's annoying" said Ikuto, looking kind of bored.

"You know what-" I shouted, before I got interrupted by Ikuto.

"What?" he asked.

"Stop interrupting me. You should be a little _nicer _towards your own sister! I know "nice" is not your specialty, but as a brother you should be going to every one of her concerts!" I shouted, annoyed by Ikuto's nonchalant attitude.

"I really don-" Ikuto started to say, before he was interrupted by Mrs. Yumori.

"Ikuto...WHY ARE YOU IN HERE? Didn't I tell you to always tell me before you come visit Amu?" shouted Mrs. Yumori.

I noticed that my mom and Ikuto's mother was also in my room. I knew Ikuto's mother, because she had come for a visit yesterday. When did they come in? I guess Ikuto and I didn't hear them come in because of my shouting...

"I thought you said you would watch over them..." said Souko, looking...well scary.

"Um...who knew Ikuto was in there? Plus, Amu doesn't look hurt or anything..." said Mrs. Yumori, trying to laugh a fake laugh, but failing to do so.

"Well, yes. Alright, I'll just let you pass this time" said Souko.

Mrs. Yumori would not be alive by now if Souko knew how many times Ikuto had come into my room without permission.

"Wow, the weather is really good. A very good day to go out and enjoy yourself" said my mother, trying to break the tension between Souko and Mrs. Yumori.

Fortunately, it worked.

"Oh, yes. Amu, Ikuto, would you like to go outside with us and enjoy the fresh air?" asked Souko, looking at both of us.

"I don't like-" said Ikuto, but before he could say anything else I quickly interrupted him.

"Would it be okay though?" I asked as I looked at my mother and Mrs. Yumori.

"Mrs. Yumori said it's okay to go outside today" said my mom, smiling.

"Alright, then it's decided. Let's get ready!" said Souko, looking excited.

My facial expression was telling everyone that I didn't want to go outside, but inside I was even happier than Souko to finally go outside after such a long time.

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><p>The sun shone down on us as we slowly walked out of the hospital. It was a Sunday, and Mrs. Yumori was able to take a break from her work, and come outside with us. The hospital was on a hill, and was surrounded by trees and grass that swayed in the gentle wind. There was a little path leading down into the small town I used to live in. There is also this weird looking maze at the side of the path, obviously for children who were living in the hospital like me. The church bells were ringing, and everything looked peaceful and calm. I was wearing my hospital clothes, and Ikuto was unwillingly walking at the very end of our group.<p>

"Since Amu's condition isn't perfect let's just walk around this area" said Mrs. Yumori, as if she had decided this a long time ago.

"Alright" my mom said, nodding her head.

Everything was so peaceful until I suddenly saw Utau coming up the hill, her pace quickening as soon she saw me. Or I thought so. It was not me she was interested in, it was Ikuto. She ran up to jump on him, as Ikuto moved sideways to avoid her attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't know how Ikuto had managed to avoid Utau.

"Ikuto, why are you avoiding me?" said Utau, her voice...kind of different. Her voice was not confident anymore, and it sounded like she was whining. In other words, her character had changed _completely._

"I always avoid you" Ikuto said, looking bored.

Utau tried to jump on Ikuto again, but was stopped by Souko.

"Utau, everyone's staring at you!" said Souko, looking kind of embarrassed.

I noticed that everyone was _staring _at Utau, looking at her kind of awkwardly.

"So? I don't really care!" said Utau, her confidence coming back into her voice.

"I never can get used to Utau's character" said Mrs. Yumori, looking as if this happened all the time.

"Wait! Isn't this Hoshina Utau?" asked my mom, looking...excited.

"Didn't I tell you that Hoshina Utau was my daughter?" asked Souko, letting go of Utau.

"No, you didn't! My youngest daughter is a big fan of her!" said my mom, looking at Souko.

The two women started talking, forgetting that Ikuto, Utau, Mrs. Yumori, and I were right next to them.

"How about you three engage yourselves in a conversation too?" suggested Mrs. Yumori, as she quickly walked over to Souko and my mom, trying to join in the conversation.

Utau looked like she was going to jump on Ikuto again, but she met my gaze, and controlled herself.

"Why are you here, Amu?" said Utau, glaring at me.

"Why can't I be here? This is the hospital. Why are _you _here?" I asked, deciding to be headstrong.

"Well, didn't I warn you to stay away from Ikuto?" said Utau, still glaring at me.

"It's good to be protective of your brother, but don't you think this is a little too much?" I asked Utau, as I glared back, trying to stay strong and confident.

"How about we decide who is better for Ikuto by doing a competition? If I lose I won't mind what Ikuto does, but if I win, you have to promise never to meet Ikuto again" said Utau, the challenging look in her eyes, just like Ikuto.

"Why should I do that? I don't want to fight with you!" I said, not glaring at Utau anymore.

"Oh, really?" said Utau, "So, you don't have the confidence to win do you? This is all because your mother is too ignorant to teach you how to compete efficiently" Utau smirked at me.

No one insults my mother. Even though my mom can be annoying sometimes, she was always by my side, encouraging me.

"Say that one more time" I said, anger rising up in me.

"I'll say it a hundred times if you want me to. Your mother is ignorant, just like you Amu" said Utau, looking confident.

"Alright, we'll have a competition! Let's see who can go in that maze and come out on the other side faster" I said, pointing to the maze on the side of the path.

"A maze...seriously? This is going to be easy" said Utau, looking at the maze as if it was a piece of cake.

"You'll see about that" I said.

I had gone into the same maze one month ago, and I wasn't able to get out until Mrs. Yumori had finally figured out where I was. The maze looked simple on the outside, but it had a lot of complicated curves and paths in the inside. I was going to win this game. I wasn't going to let Utau insult my mother.

"Let's start right now. I don't want to waste any of my time. Let's see who wins Ikuto" said Utau, giving me the scariest look I had ever seen in my whole life.

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><p><strong>Alright! Finished! Longest chapter I ever wrote in my whole life. Whew! I kind of rushed everything...he he. I'm sorry I didn't put any Amuto stuff in this chapter, but in the next chapter I will! Promise! Also, I'm sorry I kind of made Utau like Ikuto, but she'll change in the later chapters. I'm thinking about putting more pairs in this story in the future. Anyway, how do you think this "competition" will turn out? Review and tell me your opinions! Thank You!<strong>


	7. Beginning

**New chapter! Let's jump into the story right away! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>The sun was setting in the sky as I walked on and on, trying to figure out which way to go. Utau had a disadvantage in this competition, because I had been in this maze once. I hadn't succeeded in going out of the maze, but I knew how it looked like from the inside. The maze was made entirely out of rocks and gravel, and the walls were thick and impenetrable.<p>

I sighed at the thought of being in this maze again; wondering what would happen if I never found my way out. Utau would probably find her way out, and tell Mrs. Yumori and the others that I was trapped in here. Or would she? Knowing Utau she wouldn't even care about me. I would just rot and die in this maze if I failed to find my way out. I started to regret coming back into this maze. I should of suggested a different kind of competition, not something that involved choosing and thinking. I was usually bad at any kind of puzzle or game. I had bad luck, and I wasn't that smart either.

When I was still healthy, my family and I used to play a lot of games after dinner. I was the one who would almost always come in fourth place. The penalty for being last was washing the dishes, and cleaning up the game. It wasn't so pleasant. Sometimes, Ami would loose, and I would come in third place. Well, Ami couldn't wash the dishes, so I was the one who ended up doing the job. I always tried to evade playing any games with my family, but I would give up when Ami starts crying. Usually when Ami cries, the whole neighborhood comes to our house, ready to argue.

I smiled at the memory, hoping that I would be able to rejoin my family again someday. That was when I suddenly heard a high-pitched scream, somewhere in the maze. It was Utau's voice. I knew her scream, because she always used it when she was about to hug Ikuto.

This time the scream sounded a little different though. It contained...pain? I ran back the way I came, trying to locate where the scream was coming from. After walking for quite a while, I came upon Utau who was sitting on the floor of the maze, gritting her teeth.

"What happened?" I asked, walking towards Utau.

"It's none of your business" replied Utau, not making eye contact with me.

As I got closer I noticed that Utau had sprained her ankle. It was swollen, and it was as red as a tomato.

"You sprained your ankle. Here, you can lean on me" I said, holding out a hand so she could get up.

"Why should _I _lean on _you_? You're simply trying to help me so that you could win Ikuto's heart" said Utau, glaring at me.

"Um, how would I win Ikuto's heart by helping you? Plus, I have no intention of doing such a thing" I said, rolling my eyes at Utau.

"You're lying for the umpteenth time. Who would not like Ikuto?" said Utau, looking dreamy.

"I wouldn't" I replied.

"It was a rhetorical question. I don't care what you-" said Utau, before I cut her off.

"Look, you obviously need help. Your ankle is swollen, and we need to go to the hospital. You need _my_ help" I said, looking directly at her.

"No, I don't need anyone's help. My pride won't allow it" said Utau, looking determined.

"Well, you need my help now. You either freeze to death during the night, or you accept my help" I said, choosing my words carefully.

Utau grudgingly reached out her hand, and I grabbed it. Her hands were red from the cold, and she was shivering. I pulled her to her feet, and let her lean against me.

"You are technically _not_ helping me Amu. You are forcing me to go with you, and I am nicely agreeing to follow you" said Utau, looking away from me.

"Utau, I can't believe you're saying that in this kind of situation. You know I can just abandon you and run away, right?" I asked, looked directly at Utau.

"Well, I know you wouldn't" said Utau.

"How do you know?" I asked, curious what Utau was going to say next.

"I know, because you're bossy, mean, self-conscious, and stupid" said Utau.

"Okay...thanks for the compliment" I said.

"But at the same time...your nice" said Utau, saying the words as if she was spitting out sour lemon out of her mouth.

"That's contradicting" I said, choosing which path to take.

"I guess it's okay if you meet Ikuto. As long as you guys don't do something weird" said Utau.

"I have absolutely no intention of doing something weird. You're too protective toward your brother. Give Ikuto some space" I said, feeling sorry for Ikuto.

"I'll take that back, then. You should be thanking me a hundred times for giving you the privilege to meet Ikuto!" shouted Utau.

"When did _you_ have the privilege to decide who meets Ikuto?" I asked, sighing at Utau's words.

"From the time when humanity started" replied Utau.

"That wasa rhetorical question" I said, copying Utau.

"Stop copying me. I might become brainless just like you if you start using the same words as me" said Utau, glaring at me.

"Isn't it the other way around?" I asked.

"What you say doesn't make any sense. What are you trying to say? Do you need lessons on English?" asked Utau.

"You know what, you're annoying" I said.

"You're brainless" said Utau.

"Your full of useless pride" I retorted.

"Your ugly" said Utau.

We went on and on like this before we finally managed to make our way out of the maze. By then, we were both laughing at each other, and we were completely exhausted. It was almost 10:00 P.M., and I was friends with Utau. Ikuto was at the end of the maze. He looked worried, and sighed in relief when Utau and I came out of the maze.

"I thought you were never going to come out" said Ikuto.

"We were arguing about a couple of matters" I said, pointing at Utau.

That was when four things happened at the same time. Utau tried to hug Ikuto, pushing me in the process. Ikuto fell down while trying to avoid her. My face fell directly on Ikuto's face. Utau had fallen beside Ikuto and me.

"..."

"..."

"Oh my god" said Utau, one hand on her open mouth.

I quickly got up, and ran away from the scene before I could see Ikuto's reaction. I ran all the way to the hospital, and bumped into Mrs. Yumori.

"Amu, thank goodness. I guess Ikuto found you. Where's Utau? Your mother was so worried" said Mrs. Yumori, all at once.

"Sorry Mrs. Yumori. I think I need a rest" I replied.

I started running again, not waiting for Mrs. Yumori's response. I didn't stop until I was in my room. I climbed up in my bed, and pulled the covers over my head.

That was not a kiss. It was unintentional. It was an accident. It was an accident. I repeated this to myself, but I didn't feel bad about what had happened just now. I felt something. Was I happy?

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><p><strong>Alright, I didn't write the last scene directly. Hopefully, you figured out what happened. If you have any questions, then you can review or PM me. Thank you for reading my story. I'll update A.S.A.P.<strong>


	8. Roommate

**Chapter eight! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>I didn't have the courage to meet Ikuto after that eventful night. I made sure I locked the door at night, when Ikuto usually came for his visits. At daytime, I would hide in the closet, only coming out when the nurse called me. Mrs. Yumori didn't ask me why I hood in the closet for the whole day, because she was usually too busy. One time, Ikuto tried to come into my room by using the window. I thought it was a ghost when I first saw a hand grip the window sill at 10:00 P.M. I leaned out the window to see what it was, and Ikuto was hanging there, looking kind of like a...monkey. I almost laughed, but I held it inside me, until I managed to loosen his grip in the window sill. Then, I closed the window, locked it, and burst out laughing in my bed. From then on, I would think about Ikuto when I was sad or depressed, and I would always start laughing again.<p>

I knew I couldn't avoid Ikuto forever. His violin was still in my room, and he had left some of his belongings too. After about three days of thinking and wondering, I finally decided to confront Ikuto and talk to him about what had happened on Sunday night. I stayed on my bed that day, ready to see Ikuto whenever he decided to come in. Ikuto didn't come in that day, but someone else did. My life didn't let me stay in peace for long. There had to be at least _something_ I had to deal with, or solve. In other words, my life was full of problems. I already had to deal with my cancer and Ikuto, when another problem was thrown at me. So that day, when I decided to confront Ikuto, Mrs. Yumori messed up my plan by deciding to give me a roommate, so I wouldn't be _lonely_.

"Amu, I have wonderful news!" said Mrs. Yumori, as she pushed the door open, and came into my room.

"What is it?" I asked, a little surprised by the sudden outburst.

"Your going to share this room with another girl that is about your age" said Mrs. Yumori, excited.

"Um...aren't there any other rooms left in the hospital?" I asked.

"Flu is spreading around the city, and all the rooms are full. One of the nurses told me that patients needed to start sharing rooms...I know all of the rooms are small for two people, but I thought it was a great idea!" said Mrs. Yumori.

"Um...and why is this a good thing? Isn't it kind of bad? All of these people getting sick..." I said, confused.

"Oh, that's not the good part. The good part is that you won't be lonely anymore. Why didn't I think of this idea before!" said Mrs. Yumori.

"Okay...it's fine with me, but..." I said, trying to find the right words.

"Oh, here she comes! Come in, don't be shy" said Mrs. Yumori, not listening to me at all.

A nurse came in with a girl. The girl had golden hair, and yellow eyes. She was very pretty, and she looked healthy for a sick person.

"This is your roommate, Mashiro Rima. Well, I better be going! I'm late for the meeting!" said Mrs. Yumori. She walked up to the door, opened it, waved at both of us, and shut the door behind her.

The girl just stood there, looking at me.

"I should get a bed for you, Rima" said the nurse, walking out of the room through the door.

I decided to be nice to Rima, because I didn't want to cause any trouble. I locked the door quickly, so Ikuto wouldn't be able to come in, and turned around to face Rima.

Rima was lying down on _my _bed, slowly munching cookies. She had somehow managed to change into her hospital clothes, and unpack her things in less than one minute. My things were on the floor. My clothes, toothbrush, and everything else I owned. She had dumped all my stuff on the ground.

"Um...Rima? That's _my_ bed. Your bed is going to come soon" I said, walking over to Rima.

"I'm a patient. You could just stand there until the second bed comes" said Rima, nonchalantly drinking her milk.

"Um...Rima? I'm also a patient in this hospital" I said, trying to be nice.

"So? My condition is a lot worse than your condition, so you should give me the bed first" said Rima, still chewing on her cookies and drinking milk.

"Rima, get out of my bed" I said, my voice slowly losing its nice tone.

"Why did you lock the door? You better open it. Well, it's none of my business, since it's your bed that won't be able to come in" said Rima, finishing up her snack.

I pulled Rima out of the bed, and put her down on the floor. Rima was pretty light. I jumped on my bed and pulled the covers up to my chin, then turned around to face the wall.

I was pretty satisfied with myself, until Rima started crying. I instantly turned around and faced Rima.

"Rima, I'm sorry...uh, but you..." I stammered, panicking.

Suddenly, the door unlocked, and the nurse came in with two doctors. The doctors were struggling to push the bed inside, while the nurse followed behind. The nurse instantly saw Rima crying, and she ran over to her as soon as she was able to get into the room. The doctors went out of the room, closing the door behind. They looked like they were in a rush.

"Rima, what happened?" asked the nurse, worried.

"That other girl...she pushed me out of the bed. I was being so nice to her..." said Rima, crying even harder.

The nurse looked up at me.

"Amu! Rima's condition isn't good. You should be more respectful towards your own roommate!" scolded the nurse.

"I wanted to rest on Amu's bed, but she pushed me on the floor" said Rima, still crying.

"Amu, let Rima use your bed. Do not ever let me catch you pushing Rima on the floor again! Do you understand?" asked the nurse.

"Yes" I said, looking guilty.

I climbed out of my bed, quickly grabbed my belongings, and headed over to my new bed. It was a lot smaller, and I couldn't spread my legs comfortably. It was the right size for Rima, since she was shorter than me.

"Now, Rima...don't cry. If Amu does anything to you, just call me" said the nurse, lifting Rima onto her new bed. The nurse walked out of the room, not even glancing at me to see if I was comfortable or not.

After the nurse had gone, Rima instantly stopped crying.

"Rima? Are you okay? I'm sorry" I said, looking at Rima.

"Are you dumb? Those were fake tears. Give me a glass of water" said Rima, looking like herself again.

I just sat on my bed, shocked.

"Are you deaf? I'm going to call the nurse again" said Rima, looking at me.

I sighed. This was going to be a long day.

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><p><strong>Finished! I was going to put Rima in a long time ago, but I couldn't find the right time. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review!<strong>


	9. Comfort

**Chapter nine! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>The busy day was finally over, and Rima was sound asleep on her bed. I was standing next to her, reading her a story she liked. I closed the book, and sighed. Rima had kept me busy for the whole day, and I hadn't gotten a chance to meet Ikuto. I couldn't let Rima know about Ikuto, so I had to lock the door for the whole day, hoping nobody would question me.<p>

I put the book down on Rima's desk, slowly walked over to my bed, and collapsed into it. It was fluffy, and soft. It wasn't as good as my previous bed, but it was better than nothing. I couldn't fall asleep right away, because of what had happened last Sunday with Ikuto. I wanted to talk to him now. I had an uncomfortable feeling inside me, like something wasn't right. When would I be able to meet him again?

I eventually fell asleep, and tried to forget about Ikuto, and all of my troubles. The quiet night was like a lullaby, a song my mother used to sing to me when I was still a little baby...

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><p>It was about 3:00 A.M, when I heard a loud crashing sound next to me. I immediately opened my eyes, because of the noise. I slowly climbed down my bed, and rubbed my eyes sleepily. Rima was on the floor, her face pale, gasping for air, writhing as if someone had caught her. I immediately opened my eyes, and ran over to Rima.<p>

"Rima, are you okay?" I asked, worried.

"Do you think I look okay?" Rima managed, as she struggled on the ground.

"No. I'll go get help" I said, running to the door. I was just about to turn the doorknob when Rima stopped me.

"Don't. I'll be okay in a few minutes. This happens almost every night" said Rima, her breath slowly coming back to normal.

"But-" I said, before Rima stopped me.

"I don't want anybody to know. My mother and father, they might-I don't want" Rima said, as she started to struggle with herself on the floor again.

"Rima..." I said, not knowing what to say. Rima had lung cancer. Just like me. I sometimes struggled to breathe at night, but I always put some painkillers beside my desk before I slept.

"If my mother and father figures out that I'm not getting any better, then they might-" said Rima, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Rima, I know. You don't need to explain. If I call the doctors, than they will inform your parents about your condition right? You don't want them to worry about you. Your just like me" I said, putting my hands on her shoulders.

Rima didn't reply. I quickly got up from my spot, and brought water and some painkillers to Rima.

"Here, try taking this. You should always keep some painkillers when you go to sleep. In the morning, you will feel better. You should always plan ahead you know" I said, giving her the medicine and the water.

Rima quickly gulped down the painkillers and the water, and after a few more minutes, she calmed down a little.

"I'm not just like you. I'm different" said Rima, her breath returning to normal.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"My mother and father both think that it was because of them that my condition was getting worse everyday. They fought over petty things, and talked about how each hospital they brought me to is useless. They divorced last week, and I was sent to this hospital yesterday. My parents...they both betrayed me. They deserted me. They left me in this hospital, and they will never visit... All of the doctors say my condition is hopeless...and-" cried Rima, before I cut her off.

"Rima, don't cry. Stay strong. I was once like you, and I felt lost. Unlike you, my family visited me everyday, but something was still missing. One day, all of those feelings were washed away...because of a certain someone. That person came here everyday, and played his violin for me. Music is amazing. Oh, am I getting off topic? The point is, don't lose hope! Don't forget to smile. That's what I learned from that person" I said, smiling at Rima.

"Do you like him?" asked Rima, her face returning to its normal color.

"What?" I asked, surprised at the sudden question.

"Do you like this person? I never saw you smile like that" said Rima, looking at me.

"No! I do not like this person!" I said, blushing. At the same time, I kind of doubted myself. Did I like him?

"You're blushing" said Rima, looking...evil...again.

"You know what. I don't think I should have worried about you in the first place. You look completely fine now! You even have that evil glint in your eyes again!" I shouted, glaring at Rima.

"You're back to yourself too. You're arguing with me again. You know I can call the nurse again" said Rima, looking at me with innocent eyes.

I sighed. Rima hadn't changed a bit in the past few minutes. It seemed like she hadn't even cried.

"Were you fake crying again?" I asked, a little suspicious.

"No. I wasn't" said Rima, looking a little _too_ serious.

Rima's eyes told me the truth. She wasn't lying about her parents. I felt a tiny bit of guilt for questioning about her parents again.

"It wasn't bad though" said Rima, turning away from me.

"What wasn't bad?" I asked, curious.

"It wasn't bad crying in front of you like that. You weren't excellent at comforting me, but I guess I could give you three out of five points" said Rima, smiling a little bit.

"Isn't that kind of bad?" I asked.

"It's more than half. You should be thankful" said Rima, her eyes wandering around the room.

"Let's just sleep. It's tiring to talk to a person like you at 3:30 A.M. in the morning" I said.

I lifted her up before she could say anything, and put her down on her bed. I walked over to my bed, and lied down.

"Goodnight, Rima" I said, closing my eyes.

"I guess saying goodnight won't hurt" said Rima, turning around in her bed. Then, she said something I never thought she would.

"Goodnight, Amu" whispered Rima, her voice barely audible.

I learned something important that night. I had talent in making friends. Both Utau and Rima had opened their heart towards me. This was just the start. I was still miles away from the finish line.

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><p><strong>Chapter nine finished! I'm glad I could update today. I almost couldn't. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please review!<strong>


	10. Predictions

**New Chapter! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>Rima and I both fell asleep right away after our thirty-minute conversation. The painkillers showed effect instantly, and Rima no longer gasped for air. The room was quiet, and I also fell asleep. Later on in the day, I would regret falling into sleep so quickly. I had dreams that night. Not nightmares, but something that sent shivers down my spine all day long. In other words, what I experienced that night was even worse than a nightmare. I dreamed about birds and buildings.<p>

I was in the form of a little hummingbird, flapping my wings furiously, using all of my power to stay hovering in the air. I was high up in the sky, and I was slowly losing the power to fly. That was when I spotted a tall building a few feet away, and decided to take a rest before attempting to fly again. As soon as I had settled myself on the building, an eagle flew to the same building and sat next to me. After a few minutes of awkward silence the eagle started to talk to me, as if I was a long lost friend it had finally found.

"Don't run away, ever again. I'll follow you, and save you. You'll never succeed in trying to evade me" said the eagle, looking affectionately at me.

I stared at the eagle, confused. That was when I suddenly lost my balance, and fell off the building. I tried to fly, but it was no use. My wings didn't listen to me. I thought I was going to die, when the eagle swooped down and caught me in its claws. I felt a weird sensation inside myself, and the next thing I knew, I was inside the eagle's body. The last thing I saw before my dream ended was a little hummingbird falling to the ground, its eyes closed as if it were already dead. I had a feeling that I had lost something important to me.

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><p>I woke up with a start, gasping for air, and sweat trickling down my back. Rima was already awake, watching television, and she looked at me weirdly as if I had done something wrong.<p>

"It's none of my business, but why were you flailing in your sleep? You woke me up at 6:00 A.M" said Rima, looking at me sleepily.

"Why are you asking me if it's none of your business? Plus, you woke me up at 3:00 A.M. Earlier than 6:00 A.M. You should learn how to read the time" I said, trying to calm down a little.

"You're getting better at arguing with me. It's a very weird talent. Anyway, why were you gasping? Should I call the nurse?" asked Rima, not sounding worried at all.

"Rima, you're a two-faced person. I'm fine. I was just having a bad dream" I said, ignoring the first two sentences Rima had said.

"Hypocrite" said Rima, eating cookies and drinking milk at the same time.

"You're a hypocrite too. Almost everybody in this world is a hypocrite, including me, so if you call me hypocrite your a hypocrite too" I said, coughing at the end of my sentence.

"That was repetitive. Let's just forget about this conversation. It takes millions of brain cells to figure out what you're thinking" said Rima, chewing on her cookie.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" I asked, glaring at Rima.

"Both" said Rima, holding out her cup, so I could fill it up again.

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon, when Rima told me that she was actually a famous fortune teller that roamed the world for a couple of months. At first, I didn't believe her, because I didn't believe fortune telling.<p>

"Hahaha...you're kidding. That was so funny" I said, sarcastically.

"Alright, I'll prove it to you. Maybe if you realize what an important person I am to society, you'll have more respect towards me" said Rima, her head raised up high, full of pride.

"Alright...okay. You could try if you want to" I said, looking at Rima to see what she would say next.

"I'll predict what will happen to you in the future. It's the most complicated form of fortune telling. Pick three cards" said Rima, holding out the cards in the shape of a fan.

I picked three cards, and handed them to Rima. Rima put the rest of the cards down, and took the three cards from my hands.

"Okay, so...this is what the cards say. Listen carefully. Disobey. Important. Loose. That's it" said Rima, nodding to no one in particular.

"Only three words? Are you sure this is the most complicated form of fortune telling?" I asked, confused.

"Yes. These cards tell you your future" said Rima, shaking the three cards in her hands.

I tried to recall what had happened in the last few days. I remembered all sorts of things, Ikuto, the maze, comforting Rima...and the dream. I was going to loose something that was important to me? What was it? My life? My parents? My friends? Or...no, it couldn't be that person...

"I told you. My fortune telling is always correct. Do you remember any connections?" asked Rima, looking smug.

"No...I can't remember anything that relates to those three words. I guess you're wrong this time" I said, turning my body around to face the wall.

"Really? Are you sure you don't remember anything?" asked Rima, sounding suspicious.

"I'm sure. You're wrong this time" I said, confidently.

That night, when I lied down on my bed, I tried to reassure myself. Fortune telling is all fake. I won't loose anything important. Rima is all wrong...

Even then, I could feel that something was going to turn out wrong, and I was going to regret it.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry. It's so short. I'll try to make it a little longer next time. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please review!<strong>


	11. Reunion

**Chapter eleven! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

* * *

><p>"Whose violin is that? It's been lying around the room since I came to this hospital" said Rima, pointing at Ikuto's violin.<p>

"Oh, that violin...is brown" I stammered, trying to change the subject.

"I _know_ that. That was _not _what I was asking you. Answer my question" said Rima, looking directly at me.

"Um...uh...that's _my _violin! It's shiny" I said, lifting the violin out of its case, and showing it to Rima.

"Okay...if it's your violin...prove it to me. I want to hear you play it" said Rima, looking at me suspiciously.

"Oh...but you might _die_ while hearing it. I'm not that good at playing the violin...and..." I sweat dropped. I had to make up something...quickly.

"It's alright...I won't _die_. Now, play it for me" said Rima, smiling...very...evilly.

I knew I had no way out of this situation. I decided to try to play the violin, and convince Rima that it was mine. I lifted the violin to my chin, and brought the bow up to the violin. As soon as the bow touched the strings, an annoying sound pierced through the air.

"That...was horrible" said Rima, her eyes narrowing at me.

"I told you...you asked for it" I said, looking away from Rima.

"You're lying" Rima sighed.

"What?" I asked, turning around to face Rima.

"I could feel it. Your guiltiness is emanating out of you..." said Rima, crossing her arms on her chest.

"Okay...yeah...alright...so?" I asked, not understanding exactly what Rima was talking about.

"You don't have that sincere look on your face. That night when you _tried_ to comfort me, you had this really _weird_ look on your face. You don't have that look anymore...so I know your lying" said Rima, looking at me directly.

"You really have a weird hobby..." I said, laughing at Rima.

"Stop laughing. You _know_ your lying...so correct it" said Rima.

"Rima...you changed. Now you're no longer a spoiled little brat" I said, smiling at Rima.

"I was never a spoiled little brat. Stop talking, and give me some milk" said Rima, holding out her cup.

"Forget it...you haven't changed...not even a little" I sighed, shaking my head slowly.

"Tell me whose violin that is. Then I'll forgive you for everything you've done to me" said Rima, pointing to the violin one more time.

"I thought we were not going to talk about that violin anymore...and I'm not the person that should apologize. You should be begging me to forgive you for everything you have done to me!" I complained.

"I could always call the nurse again...so tell me about the violin" said Rima.

"You're blackmailing me for the eighty-sixth time...and I don't want to tell you about that violin" I said, pointing at the violin as if it had done something wrong.

"Tell me" said Rima, trying to look as angelic as possible.

"That doesn't work on me..." I said, ignoring the look easily.

"Please..." Rima said, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I've figured out a long time ago that those are fake tears" I said, sighing.

"I should think of another plan to convince her" Rima whispered to herself. Rima quickly pulled out her diary and started writing something...scary.

I sighed once more, looked at Rima, and smiled. This was Rima's way of comforting me. She knew that I was worrying about something. Thank you, Rima...

* * *

><p>It was late in the evening, and Rima and I was arguing about whose bed was bigger and softer. Of course Rima's bed was bigger <em>and <em>softer, but I wasn't going to loose to Rima. Rima had talent in making people annoyed, and she was proud of it. That was when there was a small knock on the door. I usually kept the door locked because of Ikuto, but today was an exception. It was really hot in the room, and Rima and I couldn't live without opening the door at least a little.

"Come in" I whispered, trying not to wake the other people who were sleeping at the hospital.

The person slowly came in, and soon I realized it was Ikuto. He was holding a...cat...and he also had on this smile that made me shiver. Of course the first emotion I felt was...surprise.

"Ikuto, why-why are you in here?" I asked, too shocked to say more.

"You left the door open. For the first time in ages" said Ikuto, smirking like...a cat.

"So, this is the reason why you kept our door locked everyday...interesting" said Rima, looking at me as if she had finally figured something out.

"Rima, this is Ikuto...my friend. Ikuto, this is Rima...my roommate" I said, calming down a little bit.

"Well, I need to go to the bathroom. Have a nice time with your _friend_" said Rima, waving at me as she went out of the door.

I made a mental note to have a little _talk_ with Rima after she came back from the _bathroom_.

"It's too easy to predict what you're thinking. It's hot outside, so you leave the door open...very naive" said Ikuto, _still_ smirking at me.

I didn't say anything, and tried to avoid Ikuto's gaze. I tried very hard not to blush...it would lead Ikuto to tease me nonstop for one whole hour.

"Hmmm...aren't you happy to see me again?" asked Ikuto, walking slowly around the room.

"No, and yes" I said, truthfully, slowly looking up at Ikuto.

"Stop being so stubborn. Just say yes. It's that simple" said Ikuto, sitting on my bed. He didn't seem embarrassed at all. Only amused.

"You haven't changed at all" I said, sighing at Ikuto. I was starting to feel comfortable with Ikuto again, and I was relieved.

"You too" said Ikuto, lying down on my bed.

"Hey, don't lie down on my bed!" I shouted.

"Why?" asked Ikuto, obviously amused at my reaction.

"Because it's _my_ bed" I said, rolling my eyes at Ikuto.

"It's my bed now" said Ikuto.

Before I could argue, the cat Ikuto was holding jumped up into my arms. The cat was soft, and I felt good to hold it in my arms. I hadn't noticed before, but the cat was extremely cute, and it had a ribbon tied to its neck.

"I didn't know you _liked_ cats. It's not your character" I said, smiling at the cat.

"It has a name. Plus, that cat is for you. I thought you might like it" said Ikuto, closing his eyes.

"I can't keep a _cat_ in the hospital. The nurses won't allow it" I said, looking down at Ikuto.

"Yoru is pretty quiet, and he doesn't cause a lot of trouble" said Ikuto, still closing his eyes.

"Who's Yoru?" I asked, confused.

"You don't have common sense, do you? It's that cat's name" said Ikuto.

"I knew that. I was just making sure. I'll keep Yoru. Thank you for bringing him to me" I said, looking away from Ikuto.

"Also, you don't need to worry about cat fur. Yoru's fur doesn't fall off easily, as long as you don't pull him too hard" said Ikuto, opening his eyes.

"Why would I pull Yoru? I'm not like you!" I said, looking at Ikuto directly.

"When I was sixteen, just like you, I also had cancer. I don't remember which kind though" said Ikuto, sitting up.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, eyeing Ikuto suspiciously.

Ikuto decided to ignore me.

"Luckily, someone was willing to do surgery for me, so I got better after that. I would of died in a couple of months if it wasn't for that person" said Ikuto.

"Do you remember that person's name?" I asked, interested.

"No" replied Ikuto.

"You should be more thankful that you lived. How can you not remember-" I said, before Ikuto interrupted.

"I'll go now...I'll visit you tomorrow. Leave the door open, if you don't...I'll just break the door" said Ikuto, standing up.

"Wait! Bring your violin with you" I said, pointing to Ikuto's violin that was lying in front of Rima's bed.

"No, I'll leave the violin with you. I'll always play the violin for _you_, Amu. You can keep it" said Ikuto, winking at me.

"I'm not falling for that trick anymore" I said, trying to seal my emotions.

"I know you like it" said Ikuto, leaning down towards me. Our faces were not even two centimeters away.

I suddenly remembered what had happened that Sunday night when I accidentally fell on top of Ikuto...

"Did you do that on purpose? You tripped yourself on purpose?" I asked, trying to figure out what Ikuto was thinking.

"I don't know. You'll have to figure that out yourself" said Ikuto, laughing as he walked towards the door.

"Bye, Amu. See you tomorrow" said Ikuto, vanishing through the door.

I sat there, shocked, until Rima came in.

"What a _cute_ little conversation...I videotaped it all" said Rima, holding up a camera, smiling.

"I-thought-you-went-to-the-bathroom" I said, glaring at Rima.

"Oh, well. I thought eavesdropping was going to be more interesting..." said Rima, trying not to laugh at my face.

"Stop laughing at me! Give me that camera!" I shouted, trying to catch Rima.

"Catch me if you can" said Rima, laughing loudly.

My face was red, because of what had just happened, and I had to catch Rima before she decided to upload that video onto the Internet.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Finished. How was it? Was it okay? Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! <strong>


	12. Incomprehensible

**Chapter twelve! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>"Why do <em>I <em>have to do this?" I complained, pulling out the tray from the oven.

"The answer is simple. You lost" said Rima, lying comfortably on her bed, yawning slowly.

"It was an unfair match. You cheated" I said, putting the tray down.

"Hmm...it smells good in here" said Rima, ignoring my comment.

"Are you listening to me?" I asked, turning around to face Rima.

"Of course, I'm listening to you. It's technically _your_ fault that you ended up baking the cookies. It was a fair deal. You lost. I won. Done" said Rima, pulling the covers up to her chin.

I sighed. Arguing with Rima always lowered my batteries down to zero percent. She would of been a lawyer if she hadn't gotten cancer. I _always _loose when I argue with Rima. She had talent. Rima had somehow managed to convince me into making chocolate chip cookies for her. I had lost the game, because of Rima's ridiculous rules, and then the next thing I know I'm baking cookies for _princess_ Rima...

Thankfully, there was a little oven in the room, so I didn't need to embarrass myself by going out to ask one of the nurses for an _oven_. Rima already had the ingredients for making the cookies, so that was a relief. I slowly put the baked cookies in a basket, and put the cookie tray in the sink. I walked towards Rima's bed, and put the basket of cookies on Rima's desk.

Rima immediately sat up in her bed, started to grab the cookies one by one, and munched the cookies while drinking her cup of milk that always seemed to be near her. Yoru pawed the ground, searching for any cookie crumbs that fell on the floor.

"Rima, since you have lung cancer, aren't you suppose to restrain yourself from eating cookies and treats?" I asked, worried.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I only eat cookies that are healthy" said Rima, slowing down her munching a little.

"I didn't put anything special in these cookies though" I said, confused.

"The ingredients I gave you are all healthy and sugar-free. Why do you think I gave you the ingredients myself?" asked Rima, looking at me like this was all very obvious.

"Yeah...I was wondering why you gave me the ingredients. I thought it was a little weird for Rima to be that _nice_..." I sighed, the puzzle pieces fitting inside of my head.

"What did you say?" asked Rima, busily eating her cookies.

I decided to ignore this question.

"Anyway, how can any kind of chocolate be sugar-free? It's kind of impossible isn't it?" I asked, once again confused.

"Yeah, it is impossible" said Rima, finishing up her cookies.

"Do you trust the company who makes this chocolate?" I asked, pointing at the bag of chocolates on Rima's lap.

"No" said Rima, keeping her answer short and simple.

"Then, why are you eating those cookies? You should be more careful, Rima" I said, looking at Rima with worried eyes.

"I don't know why I'm eating these cookies. Your cooking skills are horrible. I should just buy the cookies from the bakery" said Rima, completely ignoring me.

"Rima, listen to me! This is all for your own good. No more cookies from now on" I said, snatching the basket away from Rima.

Rima was silent for a moment, licking the cookie crumbs off her fingers.

"You don't understand...we're going to die anyway. It doesn't matter how early. You _know_ we can't live for long unless another person offers to give a part of their-" Rima whispered quietly, before I cut her off.

"I know...I understand" I said, smiling at Rima.

"You really don't have common sense, do you? I'm in the verge of tears, and you're..._smiling_?" asked Rima, shaking her head.

"Yes, I'm smiling" I said, patting Rima's head.

"You're...an unidentifiable creature" said Rima, calming down a little.

"So, you're not going to eat cookies anymore" I asked, winking down at Rima.

"You're...impossible" said Rima, slowly smiling.

* * *

><p>It was early in the evening, and Ikuto was lying down on my bed, patting Yoru and eating crackers at the same time.<p>

"My bed is already narrow and small, and you're getting into my personal space" I said, for the twenty-fifth time.

"So?" said Ikuto, looking nonchalant.

"So...get-out-of-my-bed-right-now" I said, straightforwardly.

"You want me to sit on the floor? I'm a guest" said Ikuto, ignoring my protests.

"I'm a patient. Also, you could sit on that chair over there" I shouted, pointing at the chair where I kept Ikuto's violin.

"That chair is too hard and rough. You're bed is fluffy and soft" reasoned Ikuto.

"Just let him lie on your bed. It's not that big of a deal" said Rima, lying on her own bed comfortably.

"You're saying that, because this is not _your_ bed!" I said, half-shouting.

"Calm down...and try to control your emotions..." said Rima, her eyes closed.

"Rima, you don't understand" I said, looking up. That was when I realized that Rima was no longer listening to me. She was sound asleep.

"Rima's right. I'm a guest" Ikuto suddenly said, surprising me a little.

"Hahaha...that does _not_ make you special" I said, sighing.

"Oh, but I am already special" said Ikuto, looking mischievous.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I was special the moment I stepped into this room" said Ikuto, saying things that didn't make any sense to me.

Before Ikuto could say anything else, I started coughing.

"Are you okay?" asked Ikuto, sounding...I don't know. Weird? Angry? Maybe, worried? Or...all of these feelings mixed together?

"I'm fine. It'll pass. I always cough nonstop at least twice a day. Maybe, you should go..." I said, covering my mouth with one hand.

"Alright" said Ikuto, to my surprise. He walked out of the door, and gently closed it behind him.

I immediately went into the little bathroom that was connected to our room. I put my hand down from my mouth, and saw...blood.

How much time was left? Would I be able to complete what I had started?

I quickly washed my face and my hands, and decided to sleep early today. I shut off the lights, and hugged my pillow in my arms...looking at Ikuto's violin.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter twelve finished! I'm expecting about 4-5 more chapters, and then this story is officially complete! If you have any questions you can P.M. me! Anyway, thanks for reading, and I'll update A.S.A.P (as soon as possible!)<strong>


	13. Risk

**Chapter thirteen! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>"Amu, can you hear me? Wake up!" said Rima, sounding anxious.<p>

I slowly opened my eyes, and saw Rima sitting on my bed, her arms crossed.

"It's 1:00 P.M., and it's time for lunch. You wouldn't wake up even when I poured milk on your face!" exclaimed Rima, looking relieved.

I quickly sat up on my bed, and turned my body around to face Rima. Milk was dripping down from my chin, and my face was wet.

"Why did you pour _milk_ on my face? You could of poured water instead!" I complained, trying to wipe the milk out of my face with my sleeve.

"Well...I was too lazy to get water...and I was in a hurry" said Rima, jumping off of my bed.

"Why were you in a hurry?" I asked.

"Well...you weren't waking up...and I thought you were...I thought I was going to be alone again..." said Rima, slowly walking to her bed.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"Nothing" said Rima, "Nothing important"

* * *

><p>"Did Amu wake up?" asked Mrs. Yumori, as she walked into our room.<p>

"She did...a few minutes ago" said Rima.

"Great timing!" said Mrs. Yumori, "Amu, Rima, it's time to do your daily check-ups! Please, follow me!"

I slowly came down from my bed, and started walking towards the check-up room with Mrs. Yumori and Rima. Mrs. Yumori quickly took our x-rays, and sent us back to our room. It was usually a quick process.

Everything was peaceful that day, and Ikuto didn't come to visit. It was like the sea before a storm...

* * *

><p>It was 1:00 A.M., and the sky was still dark outside. The window was slightly open, and the trees rustled in the wind. Rima's breathing was even, and she was calm and peaceful. But I felt so tired...and my chest started to build up with pain...<p>

I silently climbed down my bed, and searched for painkillers. I didn't have any...wrong time for me to run out of painkillers...

I couldn't help it anymore...I crashed down on the fl...No...Someone's lap...

"That hurts" complained this person.

"Who..." I managed, coughing.

"You were sleeping...so I decided to wait until morning" said this person, sounding like...Ikuto?

"Ikuto, what are you doing in our room at this hour?" I asked. My voice was small and barely audible.

"Are you okay...wait...you're burning up with fever!" said Ikuto, feeling my forehead.

I heard Rima wake up.

"What's all this commotion...Amu are you okay?" asked Rima, she sounded sleepy, and she was ready to fall asleep again.

"You over there...come here and help me" said Ikuto, trying to get me off the ground.

"Who...are...you?" said Rima, instantly waking up.

"Amu's burning up with fever...so-help-me" said Ikuto.

Rima jumped out of the bed, and came over to us.

"It's useless...you won't be able to carry her. She's too heavy. Let's call the doctor...now!" said Rima, running to get the closest phone in the room.

"I'm not heavy" I growled.

"Don't say anything right now" said Ikuto, putting a finger to my lips. I couldn't make out his expression because it was too dark, but he sounded...worried. It was a tone Ikuto never used.

Two doctors and a nurse came to our room, and I was soon carried to the emergency room. Rima and Ikuto were told to stay put in my room.

One of the nurses gave me a cup of water and some painkillers. I soon fell asleep, unaware of the commotion around me.

* * *

><p>"Is it true that Amu fainted in her room?" asked Mrs. Hinamori as she pulled the door open with a bang.<p>

"Wait for me, Mrs. Hinamori!" said Souko, as she finally caught up with her.

"Where's Amu?" asked Mrs. Hinamori, looking around the room.

Rima, Ikuto, and Mrs. Yumori was already in the room, all sitting on chairs.

"Please have a seat" said Mrs. Yumori, dragging two chairs from the corner of the room.

Souko sat down, and looked at Ikuto.

"Why is Ikuto in this room?" asked Souko, suspiciously looking at Mrs. Yumori.

"I'll explain that later..." said Mrs. Yumori, trying to look as serious as possible.

"I don't have time for this" said Mrs. Hinamori, "Where's Amu?"

"Don't worry...she's resting right now, Mrs. Hinamori. We have called you two to discuss about future matters..." said Mrs. Yumori, nodding her head.

"What future matters?" asked Mrs. Hinamori, still sounding urgent.

"Of course, about Amu's condition...and what we should do to help her" said Mrs. Yumori, nodding as if this was a very obvious thing.

"Why is Ikuto in this room too? Is there a particular reason?" asked Souko, frowning.

"Yes...first things first, Amu's cancer...it started spreading around her body" said Mrs. Yumori, rather calmly.

"When? Why? What? I-" said Mrs. Hinamori, lost for words.

"I figured this out today...when I took an x-ray of Amu's whole body...it's been quite a while since Amu got cancer, and this was going to happen sooner or later" said Mrs. Yumori.

"Why did you ask us to come here though?" asked Souko, pointing to Ikuto.

"Well...you see...I've found a person who has the same immune _and _blood type as Amu...its Rima...and also Ikuto" said Mrs. Yumori, turning around to face Rima and Ikuto who were sitting next to each other.

"Then why-" asked Mrs. Hinamori, before Mrs. Yumori interrupted her.

"The problem is that Rima also has cancer...but there is a solution. Since all three of them have the same blood and immune type, we can have a three-way operation...this is the worst possible way though. The hospital's doctors don't have any experience in this kind of operation...well...this situation itself is kind of impossible and unpredictable. Usually, it's extremely rare for _three_ people to have the same immune and blood type, so..." said Mrs. Yumori, her plan rushing out of her mouth.

There was a moment of shocked silence in the room, before Mrs. Yumori spoke up again.

"We'll have to try it...but before that I need Ikuto's consent to help Amu and Rima. If the surgery goes well, we might be able to save both of them" said Mrs. Yumori, trying her best to sound confident...

* * *

><p><strong>Complicated chapter...hope you understood everything. I kind of rushed everything. I'm still debating on how to end this story...tragedy or happy ending? Anyway, thanks for reading and P.M. me if you have any questions! Sorry for not explaining everything in detail!<strong>


	14. Regrets

**Chapter fourteen! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>I had dreams that night...more like memories...my past. All of the unpleasant things and pleasant things in my life before I realized I had cancer. Maybe it was the darkness and the smell of the emergency room that brought back my memories. Or maybe it was the soft, clean bed sheets that helped me relax despite my situation.<p>

The first dream I had was when I had to go meet my dad's mother. In other words: my grandmother. She was a strict person, and when I was young I was...scared of her. She talked to me in this voice that sent shivers down my spine, and she was the only person in the family that made me cry.

I was four years old, and I was sitting on my grandmother's favorite sofa. My mother sat on another sofa...my grandmother's _least_ favorite sofa. My grandmother sat on a chair...just a plain old chair.

"I've heard rumors about myself" said my grandmother, "Bad rumors about my personality and my current position in society. Is this you that spread these rumors again?" My grandmother was looking at my mother like she was about to pierce her with her words.

"No...I never spread any rumors about anyone..." said my mother, her voice was small and she was barely audible.

"Speak louder" said my grandmother, "Don't act like a coward"

"I apologize...but I am sure...I have not spread any rumors about you" said my mother, her voice seemed forced.

"I see..." said my grandmother, not sounding convinced at all.

There was a moment of silence before my grandmother spoke up again.

"So...why haven't you come to visit me with your daughter for such a long time?" asked my grandmother, saying it like it was statement and not a question.

"I apologize..." said my mother.

_"Again" I thought._

"You should show more respect towards your elders" said my grandmother, using her usual spooky voice.

It went on and on like this my mother apologizing many times and my grandmother trying to find something to blame on my mother. At last when I couldn't take it anymore, when I thought I should at least say _something _to defend my mother, my grandmother told us to go.

My grandmother rarely showed emotion...nothing except her stern look that was always on her face. My mother always had a sour temper after a long talk with my grandmother, and I had realized a long time ago that talking to her was not a good idea.

So, I just sealed all of my emotions...anger towards my grandmother, and pity towards my mother.

The scene changed in my head, and I was lying on my parents' bed. I was six years old.

"You _promised_. You promised to play with me today!" I shouted at my mom, tears spilling down my face.

"I've had a long hard week of work, and you played for the whole week, Amu. I'll play with you next week... I have to see this television program" said my mother, holding the remote control in one hand.

"You're a traitor...a liar!" I said, unable to control my emotions.

"Be quiet, Amu!" said my mother, "You should be more obedient!"

I covered my face with the bed sheets, and silently cried. Crying silently was my best talent...because I was used to it.

The scene shifted again, and now I was sitting next to my grandmother. I was nine years old. I was silent most of the time, and my grandmother was the one asking me a lot of questions.

"How do you do in school these days?" asked my grandmother, drinking tea at the same time.

"Fine" I said, keeping my answer short.

"How do you feel about moving your house?" asked my grandmother.

"Fine" I said again.

"How do you get along with your friends?" asked my grandmother.

"Fine" I said again.

Then my grandmother did something I never saw her do. She smiled at me.

The scene changed once more, and I was participating in my grandmother's funeral. I was eleven years old. My grandmother had died of lung cancer, and she was being buried next to my grandfather. I promised myself not to cry. I shouldn't cry...she was finally gone...

The coffin slowly got lowered down into the hole that was dug by the workers. My mother looked grave, and my father was crying silently. Ami was too young to know what was happening. I...didn't know what to do. I concealed my emotions, and tried to look glad. It didn't work.

As soon as we arrived back home, I climbed the stairs, and jumped on my bed. Tears started to roll down my cheeks...

Grandmother...I'm sorry...

What could I have done differently while she was still alive?

The scene changed for the last time. I was thirteen.

I was coughing in my room, and I was holding onto my chest at the same time. I was feeling pain, but I couldn't understand why. I decided to try drinking some water. I stood up, and walked out of my room. I felt dizzy, and weak. I managed to arrive at the kitchen, and pour myself a glass of water. It happened when I was about to drink the water.

My hand slipped, and the glass of water crashed on the ground. I soon collapsed on the floor too. The last thing I heard was my mother shouting, "Amu!"

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><p>I opened my eyes slowly. Where was I? I looked around the room and realized I was still in the emergency room. There were a lot of beds around me, and all of the people had their eyes closed. Some of them looked as if they were already dead.<p>

I suddenly remembered my dream. Why had I dreamed about such things? Those were my most painful memories, yet they gave me a mysterious feeling as if I had learned something throughout each of those experiences.

My chest no longer pained me, and there were no nurses or doctors around.

I slowly got out of my bed, and decided to go to that place once more...before everyone came back again.

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><p><strong>Chapter fourteen completed. Sorry I updated so late, but my computer was broken (thanks to my dad) and I had to ask my mom if I could borrow hers. Anyway, I won't be able to update for a long time now...school started. Maybe I can update in a week or two? I promise I'll try to update as fast as I can. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.<strong>


	15. Knowledge

**Chapter fifteen! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>No one said anything, and there was absolute silence in the room until Souko decided to speak.<p>

"No...I can't allow Ikuto to participate in this surgery...I'm sorry" said Souko, shaking her head as if she was trying to reassure herself.

All eyes in the room turned around to look at Souko as if they couldn't believe what she had just said.

Surprisingly it was Mrs. Hinamori who spoke up after Souko.

"...I understand. You're afraid, because the surgery might go wrong, right Souko? I know...if it was Amu who had to do the surgery for Rima and Ikuto...I wouldn't have allowed Amu to do it...if she was healthy..." said Mrs. Hinamori, failing to put her thoughts into complete sentences.

"If Ikuto doesn't participate in this surgery...there is no other choice, Amu and Rima will just have to-" said Mrs. Yumori, before someone interrupted her.

"I'll do it. I'll participate in the surgery" said Ikuto, looking extremely calm.

There was a moment of shocked silence, as everyone in the room tried to understand what Ikuto had just said.

"No, I won't allow you to do it. I'm your parent and guardian, so if I don't allow Ikuto to do the surgery, then he can't do it, right Mrs. Yumori?" asked Souko, her words tumbling out of her quickly.

"Yes...if Souko doesn't allow Ikuto to do-" managed Mrs. Yumori, before she was interrupted again.

"I'm doing the surgery" said Ikuto.

"No" said Souko, shaking her head.

"Yes...Ikuto can do whatever he wants" said someone, opening the door with a bang.

Everyone turned around to see who the newcomer was.

"Utau...why are you in the hospital?" asked Souko, "You're supposed to be in Hawaii where you said you were going to film the commercial!"

"Oh...yes, but I heard from Ikuto one hour ago that Amu fainted...so I decided to cancel the commercial and visit Amu for a little while" said Utau, "Sure, my manager got mad, but...I managed to get out of the airplane..."

"Managed to get out of the _airplane_?" asked Rima, curious.

"I'll explain that later. Where's Amu?" asked Utau, "One of the nurses said I'll be able to meet her in this room"

"Amu is currently in the emergency room" informed Mrs. Yumori.

"Oh..._thank you"_ said Utau, confident as always.

"Anyway, I still can't allow Ikuto to take the surgery" said Souko, bringing up the subject again.

"The surgery?" asked Utau, "What surgery?"

Everyone sweat dropped.

"Um...Utau...you just said that you agree on Ikuto taking the surgery" said Mrs. Yumori.

"I never agreed. I was just helping Ikuto get his way" said Utau, nodding confidently.

Mrs. Yumori quickly explained the current situation to Utau.

"Look Utau, your brother could possibly _die_ in this surgery...I can't allow that...you know how dangerous and complicated the surgery is for lung cancer...you know" said Souko, desperately trying to convince Utau.

"Mom...that's selfish" said Utau, looking at her mother with piercing eyes.

"What are you trying to say, Utau?" asked Souko, looking hurt.

"You know exactly what I mean. Ikuto wants to do the surgery, so let him do it...it's that simple. Don't you think it's selfish to try to live by yourself while the other two of your friends just...die?" asked Utau.

"I don't-" said Souko, before Ikuto interrupted.

"Remember the promise? You said that if I go meet Amu...you'll do anything for me. This is what I want" said Ikuto, looking like he wasn't going to change his mind.

"Ikuto...Utau...please" said Souko.

"Do you believe Ikuto?" asked Utau, "If you do, then you should let him take the surgery"

"I think you lost Souko...to your own children. They really are convincing..." said Mrs. Yumori.

Souko just sat there, not knowing what to say.

"Since it's better to do the surgery as soon as possible, the doctors will get prepared today. The surgery will start tomorrow morning" said Mrs. Yumori.

Utau and Ikuto nodded.

"Alright...it's decided. Ikuto, can you come with me for a minute?" asked Mrs. Yumori, allowing everybody else to go.

No one moved except for Utau. She went out of the door after Ikuto and Mrs. Yumori, obviously going out to search for Amu.

* * *

><p>Mrs. Yumori led Ikuto to a small little room right next to the operation room.<p>

"Is there a particular reason why you wanted to speak to me alone?" asked Ikuto, calm as always.

"Oh...yes. I just wanted to tell you to comfort your mother after your surgery. She's hurt you know. She cried a lot when we were young, and I was the one that always had to step up and be on her side" said Mrs. Yumori, smiling.

Ikuto stayed silent.

"It's still a mystery how she managed to give birth to Utau and you" said Mrs. Yumori, "You two are very different from Souko, you know"

"Is that all?" asked Ikuto, bored.

"Oh, no" said Mrs. Yumori, "I wanted to ask you a question. Why were you willing to do the surgery for Rima and Amu?"

"I don't know" said Ikuto, still looking bored.

"The Ikuto I know didn't care about other people...in the past...but why now?" asked Mrs. Yumori.

"I don't know" replied Ikuto, once more.

"Did Amu change you in some way?" asked Mrs. Yumori, "Did you by any chance f-"

A car honked in the streets, and Ikuto barely managed to hear Mrs. Yumori.

"Why are you asking me these questions?" asked Ikuto.

"I'm just trying to help you organize your current situation...this is how I managed to change Souko's life" said Mrs. Yumori, "You're so different, yet so similar to Souko when she was young..."

"I...don't understand what you're trying to say" said Ikuto.

"You will understand someday" said Mrs. Yumori, "Just like Souko"

Before Ikuto could reply the door opened with a bang, and a nurse came in, panting for breath.

"Amu...she...she...ran away. She's not in the emergency room anymore" said the nurse, still out of breath.

"What are you talking about?" asked Mrs. Yumori, "Find her!"

"Wait...I think I know where she went" said Ikuto, "Can you let me find her?"

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><p><strong>Okay, I updated way faster than I said I would, which is good. But I really am going to update after about a week this time. You might be thinking: Oh, you're lying again. I'll look for your story again after two days! I wish that was true...but no. This time, seriously. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll try to update as soon as possible!<strong>


	16. Lies

**Sorry for making you wait for such a long time. I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>I slowly walked out of the hospital building, intending to go to the graveyard that was located at the back of the hospital. It was the only graveyard that existed in the town, so a lot of people were buried on top of each other. Of course, dirt and grass would separate their bodies, and the dead were put in a coffin before they were buried.<p>

The graveyard soon appeared in front of me, and I slowly walked into it. I searched the engraved stones with my eyes, trying to find a particular person. I soon found it, and I sat down beside the big stone that had all the names of the people that were buried on that spot. Since, many people were buried on top of each other, the graveyard ended up looking like a hill. Some of the children living in the town came to play in the graveyard, since it was a great place to play hide-and-seek.

If someone caught you playing in the graveyard you would be severely punished. I used to play in this graveyard too, when I was very young. But one day I stopped. I suddenly realized what an important place this was, and how the dead were trying to rest in peace in this sacred place. It was when I was eleven years old. It was when...my grandmother passed away.

I stared at the clouds that were floating above the sky, looked at a rabbit hopping by the graveyard, and looked at the trees that were shifting in the wind. I tried to distract myself from the graveyard, trying to forget my regrets from the past. The beautiful surroundings seemed to tease me. Why was I here? What did I want to do? I no longer remembered...I was filled with remorse and regret. I was silently crying when suddenly there was a small tap on my shoulder.

"Where have you been? I've been searching for you for ages!" said the unknown voice.

I slowly turned around to face this person. It was Ikuto.

"Why are _you_ here? You shouldn't be here! This graveyard is off limits unless you get special permission to-" I managed to say, before Ikuto interrupted me.

"Just in case you didn't realize it, _you're_ also in this graveyard, and as far as I know _you _aren't supposed to be here either" said Ikuto.

"Well, I was just, you know just-" I stammered, trying to find a good excuse.

"Everyone is searching for you, let's just go back" said Ikuto, standing up from his position.

"You're not going to tell anyone that I broke the rules, right?" I asked, a little apprehensive.

"We'll see" said Ikuto, holding out a hand, smiling mischievously.

I half-sighed and then smiled, as I grabbed onto Ikuto's hand.

* * *

><p>"Why were you in the <em>graveyard<em>?" asked Ikuto, curious.

The graveyard was a little dot in the distance, and we were slowly walking on the soft grass.

"Well, I just wanted to see my grandmother before something big happened" I replied, remembering what I had wanted to do at the graveyard.

"You wanted to meet your grandmother in the _graveyard_. That's...interesting" said Ikuto, touching my forehead to see if I had a fever.

"Well, yes. My grandmother passed away a couple of years ago, and I wanted to say "hi" to her" I said, nodding my head to myself.

"Okay...saying "hi" to a ghost. Very interesting" said Ikuto, looking a little worried.

"You sound like you're not taking this seriously" I said, stopping in my tracks.

"I always take you seriously" said Ikuto, sounding sarcastic as always.

"If you don't want to listen to me, then you don't have to" I said, walking ahead of Ikuto.

"I'm still listening" said Ikuto. He sounded as if he was still curious, but that tone of sarcasm hadn't left his voice yet.

"I do not speak to people who do not take me seriously" I said, sounding like I was announcing an important speech.

"I'm still listening" said Ikuto, trying to annoy me. It worked...again.

"Look, if you're going to tease me right now, don't. I'm not in the mood today...and I don't want to see you today. Just go away" I said, running away from Ikuto, running away as fast I could.

I was running blindly, and my heart couldn't stop aching. My lungs felt as if they were going to burst.

That was when I suddenly bumped into Utau.

"Amu, I was searching for you. What happened? Are you alright?" asked Utau, looking like she always did. Brave, confident, and...scary. Her tone was very different from the kind words she was saying.

I looked up from the ground to see Utau's eyes glaring down at me. She looked like she wanted answers. I was crying, but she either didn't notice, or didn't care.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I said, trying to wipe my tears with my sleeve.

Utau looked at me as if she was trying to decide to believe me or not.

"I just wanted to tell you that we found a person that has the same immune and blood type as you" said Utau, "You can take the surgery now"

I stared at her for a moment before the information reached my brain. I dared not believe what I was hearing.

"What...I...don't-" I said, before Utau cut me off.

"Don't you get it? Now you can get rid of your cancer!" said Utau, sounding more annoyed than joyful.

I was about to say something, when Ikuto suddenly came walking from behind me.

"Why did you run away?" asked Ikuto, "You dropped this by the way" Ikuto held out one of my slippers, and I noticed that only one of my two feet had slippers on.

I snatched the slipper away, and turned around to face Utau.

"Did you guys have an argument...again?" asked Utau, looking tired.

"That's not the point. What's the person's name...the person that has the same immune type and blood type as m-" I managed, before Utau cut me off again.

"Isn't that obvious?" said Utau, "It's Ikuto"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Are you deaf? Ikuto is participating in this surgery for you. The operation is starting next morning, as early as possible. Didn't anybody tell you?" asked Utau, rolling her eyes.

"No" I replied, shocked.

I turned around to face Ikuto and he nodded. There was something else in his eyes though. Something I couldn't understand...regret? No, it wasn't regret. I had a feeling he was hiding something...something I was unable to understand at this time of my life. Later on I realized what an important moment this was. But it was too late...far too late.

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><p><strong>Finally, this chapter is finished. I kind of followed the story's flow. I wrote down anything I thought was right. I re-read it and thought: Wow, this is confusing...but I didn't know how to write the second to last chapter. So, I'm sorry if it's confusing. You can P.M. me if you have any questions. Anyway, there's going to be just one more chapter...and I get to decide who's going to live, and who's going to die and all of that complicated stuff. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.<strong>


	17. Promise

**Hello! I don't own Shugo Chara.**

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><p>I slowly opened my eyes, waking up from my sleep. I rose up from my bed, and yawned loudly, so that the sound vibrated through the room. I took deep breaths, and tried to calm down myself. Today was the day. The day I had waited for such a long time. I was happy, yet kind of nervous at the same time.<p>

Rima was already up, brushing her teeth in the little bathroom that was connected to our room. I could hear the water splashing all over the sink, and clashing noises in the bathroom. Rima was unusually quiet today...she usually spilled milk on my face if I didn't wake up before her...

"You should be glad I didn't pour any milk on your face today. Your sleeping face looked too ugly for my expensive milk, you know" said Rima, coming out of the bathroom with a towel in her hands.

"You don't change, do you?" I asked, shaking my head slowly from side to side.

"Yes, I don't change. I like the way I am right now. Thank you very much for worrying about me _so _much" said Rima, smiling her innocent smile.

I smiled. Rima was always Rima. She never changed...even if this was the day scheduled for her surgery. Her life depended on this day, yet she still smiled.

"Amu, it's time for you to start getting up too. Its 6:00 A.M. you know. The surgery starts at 7:00 A.M." said Rima, giving me her sweetest smile possible.

I immediately stopped smiling. Usually Rima had something up her sleeve if she had that angelic smile on her face. Something that was _not _pleasant.

"I believe you, Rima. You wouldn't do anything bad to me right before the surgery right? Even you aren't that..." I paused, as I thought of all the possible things Rima could do to me.

"Of course not, _Amu_. Don't you believe your best _friend_?" asked Rima, smiling that angelic smile again.

I slowly got down from my bed, and walked to the bathroom. The whole time I gave Rima a suspicious look, while she just smiled at me innocently. I got my surprise as soon as I closed the bathroom door. The floor was flooding with water, the bathtub and the sink was full of water, and everything was just...water.

Rima was a little _too_ energetic that morning, but I thought we were off to a pretty good start. Better off being cheerful than gloomy, right?

* * *

><p>Almost everyone came to encourage us that day. My aunt, uncle, cousin, mom, dad, little sister, you name it. Rima seemed to look towards the window a lot, and I knew why. She was checking to see if her parents were coming to meet her. It was fifteen minutes before the surgery was going to start, and Ikuto, Rima, and I were lying down on the "moving hospital beds". Well, at least that's what Ami keeps telling me.<p>

Souko was looking down at the floor, and Utau looked confident as if to say, "You better come back alive, or else..." Well, if we didn't come back alive, it wouldn't matter anyhow, since we wouldn't be able to feel Utau's wrath. My mother was crying, my dad...was playing with Ami, but I knew he still cared about me too. I put on my best smile, Rima looked a little disappointed, and Ikuto looked like he didn't care. In other words, it was kind of like a graduation ceremony rather than a scene right before a big operation.

After about five more minutes, we managed to say all of our "good-lucks", and "don't worries". After that, the surgeons pushed us all into the operation room, and we had five more minutes before the surgery really started.

The surgeons placed us in the middle of the room, and turned on the lights. Then, they started to get prepared for the surgery. I was trying to soothe down myself, when Ikuto suddenly spoke to me.

"Aren't you going to be polite, and say a thank you to me before the surgery starts?" asked Ikuto, using that usual mischievous voice.

I screamed at Ikuto's sudden whisper, and all the surgeons that were working in the room suddenly looked at me with surprised looks on their faces. I muttered a quick "sorry", before I glared at Ikuto. He just silently laughed with his eyes.

"No, I'm not going to say _thank you _to a jerk who rudely shouts at other people right before their surgery is about to begin" I said, still glaring at Ikuto.

"But I didn't shout. I whispered, like this" said Ikuto, shrinking his voice to the minimum level.

I just sighed, and rolled my eyes.

"Are you still not willing to say thank you to me? After all, it's all because of me that you are able to get rid of your lung cancer...plus if I run away right now, you won't be able to get better" said Ikuto, making up his own story with a smile.

"You're such a...a..." I said, trying to find the right words to describe Ikuto.

"A nice person that is willing to help a little girl with cancer?" suggested Ikuto, yawning a little.

"Yes...I mean no! That was _not _what I was going to say! You...you...jerk!" I whispered loudly.

"I thought you already used that word" said Ikuto, yawning again.

The medicine was starting to affect our bodies. It started to dull my senses, and I was starting to feel sleepy.

"Alright then, I'll say thank you _if _the surgery is successful" I said, losing the energy in my body.

"Alright, I believe you, Amu. It's a promise" said Ikuto, slowly closing his eyes.

"Promise" I said, before I lost consciousness too.

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><p><strong>Alright...the next chapter is the <em>real <em>last chapter. I think this is a really good place to end. Anyway, one more chapter left! I promise I'll update as soon as possible!**


	18. Believe

**I am very sorry for not updating for a long time. I was just too busy with schoolwork...but here's the last chapter! All written and complete! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p>The dry, sticky feeling in the air woke me up from my deep sleep. The room was dark, but I somehow knew that the sun hadn't gone down yet. My throat was dry, and I felt my chest heaving up and down. That was when I realized that I was still alive. The surgery was a success after all.<p>

I slowly looked around the room with my eyes, but there was no sign of motion except for my own breath. I was alone in a dark room. Very comforting. But, where were Rima and Ikuto? Were they maybe in another room? I felt the sensation of fear creep towards me as I shuddered at my own thoughts. No, I shouldn't be making predictions...

I decided to get up and find out for myself where Rima and Ikuto were being kept. They _were_ alive, I knew it. They had to be. At least, that was what my heart was screaming for. Someone must of told me by now if the surgery had failed for one of us. Or, maybe I was all alone, because no one had the courage to tell me what had really happened? No, I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. I had to believe Rima, Mrs. Yumori, my mom, and Ikuto.

I slowly tried to get up, bit by bit, raising myself on the bed. After a couple of minutes, I barely managed to get myself into a sitting position. My body ached, and the effects of the surgery hadn't left my tired body yet. It hurt to move my body, but my breathing was more even and my lungs no longer ached like they used to.

I wasn't about to give up now though. I was going to meet Ikuto and Rima. I had to see them with my own two eyes, or else I would feel guilty for the rest of my life. After what seemed like hours and hours of hard labor, I managed to drag myself out of the bed. I looked around the room to see if there was anything that could support me when I walked.

The best thing I spotted in the room was a cane made for old grandmothers and grandfathers. I went over to it, and gripped the wooden handle tightly as if my life depended on it. I let myself lean on the cane, and I started walking towards the way out of the room. By now, my eyes had adjusted to the dark, so I could see almost everything in the room.

There wasn't much to see in the room. The only objects in the room was an elegant looking chair, the bed I was lying on, and the cane I was holding onto for support right now. I didn't pay much attention to the room, turned the doorknob, and went out into the hallway, expecting bright light to shine on my face.

Instead, only darkness hung in the air as I shut the door to my room. The only light I could feel was the soft moonlight, shining through one of the hospital windows. So, I was wrong. It was already past midnight. The sun had already set. The air was cold, and I shivered as I continued my way along the dark hallways.

The whole hospital seemed to be sleeping, and I couldn't hear even a single rat scurrying across the floor. I felt as if I was dreaming, and I felt like I would never find Mrs. Yumori, Rima, my mom, or Ikuto ever again. I was about to turn back, when I saw light slipping out of one of the rooms. I quickly dragged my feet across the floor, and raised my hand to knock on the door, when I heard something that made me freeze.

"Is Amu still asleep?" asked a voice. The voice definitely belonged to my mom.

I heard some crying in the background, and some muffled voices.

"She'll get over it. It's not her fault after all" said a voice that sounded very similar to Mrs. Yumori's.

"No, she won't be able to. Let's don't make any predictions yet Mrs. Yumori. You said there's still hope..." said a voice. It sounded like someone I knew...it was Rima...but why was her voice so uneven? It hardly sounded like Rima. Anyway, I was glad Rima was safe. Where was Ikuto though?

"No, I'm almost sure he won't wake up. Ikuto's..." I heard Mrs. Yumori say.

That was when I slammed the door open to the surprise of Rima, Mrs. Yumori, and my mom.

"Amu...what are you doing in here?" asked my mom, still shocked at my sudden appearance.

"Where's Ikuto? He's in here, right?" I asked, hanging onto the last hope that I had heard the wrong information.

Souko was looking down at the floor, her hair looking wet and soggy, and everyone else in the room tried not to make eye contact with me.

I shut the door, and ran. My body seemed to be full of energy, the mad feeling you get whenever something goes wrong. The last thing I heard was, "I'll go after her!", as I ran blindly through the hallways.

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><p>I ran towards the back of the hospital. That was the first place I could remember of. It was the graveyard where my grandmother was buried. I ran to the same place, the place where I always look for comfort. I sat on the soggy dirt, not caring about how dirty my clothes would get. I buried my face in my arms, trying to calm myself down.<p>

As usual, I didn't get any comfort. I only felt remorse and regret. Why did I always come here if that was all I was going to feel? I didn't know. Was I just hanging onto false hope? My eyes slowly filled up with water when I suddenly heard footsteps coming from behind me. I could hear the person sitting down beside me, leaning on me like I was her pillow. It was Rima. I could tell by her small size and her unique fragrance.

We were silent for a couple of minutes until Rima decided to speak up.

"As I've already said in that room, Ikuto is not dead yet. Mrs. Yumori says it's hopeless, but I really don't think that's how a doctor should act. There's always hope around the corner. You just have to turn it to see it. You can't be afraid of the results, right?" said Rima, her voice the same nonchalant tone.

I stayed silent.

"I heard that you visit this place a lot of times. One of the nurses said so. I thought you were going out with Ikuto, but I guess I was wrong. Why do you like this place so much? Isn't just a graveyard full of dead corpses?" asked Rima, changing the subject.

That had me talking again. I slowly raised my face to look at Rima's face. She looked nonchalant, but I could tell she was trying not to smile.

"You're smiling? When you're in this kind of situation? Don't you feel sorry for Ikuto? I...don't want to loose anyone again. I was...I was...my grandmother. I couldn't say those words..." I burst out, literally shouting at Rima.

"Amu-" said Rima.

"Stop calling my name!" I said, cutting her off in the middle of her sentence.

"Amu, you're telling me you regret everything, right? The surgery, your actions towards your own grandmother..." said Rima, her voice slowly fading away.

"I don't-" I said, before Rima interrupted me.

"Don't regret anything. It won't help you. Isn't that what you tried to tell _me _all along? You should face the reality, and try to make everything right. I was thinking about what you said the day I met you. I told you about my parents, and you comforted me. I realized I shouldn't be giving up so easily. I should believe my parents, and have hope in them. It was not my parents that were giving up on each other...it was me too. I was giving up on them too. I shouldn't be blaming my parents, because nothing was wrong with them...the real problem was within myself" said Rima, smiling at me for the first time ever.

Something was warm inside me, and I looked at my grandmother's graveyard.

"You should believe Ikuto, and you should also believe your grandmother. It isn't too late, Amu. I don't know what happened in your past, but I know you have the ability to make things right. Hoping and believing is what humans were made to do, right? Let's go, Amu. Let's go to Ikuto" said Rima, standing up.

Rima...was right. Rima was smiling because she finally realized something important. She was trying to get me out of this...darkness, and I was determined to do whatever I could for Ikuto...and my grandmother.

I wiped my tears on my sleeve, and grabbed Rima's hand. Everything would be alright. You just had to believe the people you trusted, and love the people who were by your side, encouraging you along.

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><p><strong>I finished that all in just one day! Whew! I tried to choose the right words, and I hope you understood what I was trying to say. I hope you liked the...what should we call it...pre-ending. I still have the epilogue to write, and that would be the real last chapter. I want to make sure: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! If it is, it would be a boring last chapter right? Anyway, I'm sorry if I'm confusing you. I hope you enjoyed reading, and I'll update as soon as possible!<strong>


	19. Epilogue: Eternal

**Alright! The epilogue! I don't own Shugo Chara!**

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><p><em>Three years later~~~<em>

"No, again" said Rima, sighing for the umpteenth time.

"Alright, I can't do this anymore!" I said, throwing the violin on my bed.

I was currently in my room, practicing the violin with Rima being my tutor. The room was quite messy with all of my clothes all over the place. Tons of books piled my desk, and the whole room smelled like dust. Rima coughed every few minutes, breaking my concentration every time she did.

"It's a miracle how you manage to make that eerie noise even though you practiced for four hours straight. I'll admit it, you have talent" said Rima, sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Rima. I have to perfect this piece of music by _today_. Tomorrow early in the morning, I have to go to the airport. Isn't there any other way to get better than to just practice for hours and hours? This is so inefficient!" I said, sitting down on the floor in exasperation.

"Practice makes perfect. _Again_" said Rima, holding out a hand to help me get up.

"I give up. You're not giving me any advice on how to get better! I'll never perfect this piece in time" I said, refusing to hold Rima's hand.

"As I've told you earlier in the day, I'm _not_ a violin tutor. I'm just helping you with tone quality. I don't know how to play the violin, I have no idea how to hold the bow, and I don't know how to play a single note. Despite all of this, you asked me to come over, so I kindly did" said Rima, sitting down next to me.

"That helps" I said, sighing once more.

"Amu, I think you're forgetting the main goal of this practice session" said Rima, after a moment of silence.

"I know what the main goal is. It's to practice until I can play this piece perfectly" I said, not really thinking.

"No, you're wrong. Remember you said you want to express something through this piece of music. Wasn't that our goal from the very beginning? If you give up, then the same feelings will show up when you play it for _real_" said Rima, nodding her head.

"Rima, you really haven't changed at all" I said, getting up.

"You haven't changed either. You like to give up. That part of you hasn't changed" said Rima, smiling.

"Alright, then I'll show you" I said, picking up my violin.

"Show me what?" asked Rima, getting up from the floor, trying to get the dust off her skirt.

"I'll show you that I've changed" I said, putting the violin under my chin.

* * *

><p>The next morning, I rushed out of the house, running towards the graveyard located at the back of the hospital. I had exactly two hours until the plane left for Europe, and I had wanted to visit the graveyard. I ran up to my grandmother's grave, and stared at it for a while, absorbing the scent of the soil. The wind blew gently around my hair, and I knew everything was going to be alright.<p>

The sky was clear, and I could almost hear my grandmother saying, "It's going to be okay. Believe me."

I don't believe ghosts exist, but at that time and at that place, I could feel God letting go of grandmother's spirit, letting her flow through me, giving me courage and wishing me luck.

* * *

><p>The traffic was horrible that day. The roads seemed to be packed with cars, not sparing any space for even an ant to squeeze in. I sighed in exasperation as I heard the city clock ring loud and clear announcing that it was currently 8:00 A.M. One more hour left, and the plane would leave.<p>

"This is your fault. I told you to come out early in the morning! Now we're never going to get there in time. Well, not that it matters much for me" said Rima, sighing.

"I was only fifteen minutes late!" I said.

"Fifteen minutes makes a huge difference" said Rima, looking to see how much they had to drive. The line of cars seemed endless, and Rima shook her head in defeat.

"Alright, Rima, I'm running to the airport" I said, opening the door of the car.

"You're kidding, right? The airport's 30 minutes away if you run, and you can't carry two violins..." Rima trailed off, as she realized that Amu had already started to run.

* * *

><p>I could see the airport in the far distance. I had arrived in ten minutes, and it had been a pretty short journey despite Rima's warning. Rima really needed to get out more, and exercise. Her definition of 30 minutes was a little different from my definition of 30 minutes. Of course, I've realized this by now, and I always subtract 20 minutes from the time she gives me.<p>

By now, I ran into the airport, searching for Ikuto. He was going to Europe this year to participate in the concerts, and this might be the last chance I could see him for a long time. Plus, I wanted to give him back his violin...and play the piece I practiced for him. I wanted to play the piece with my own violin.

I sat down after a couple of minutes of searching, deciding to rest a little bit. I had arrived a little earlier than my prediction, and I had a couple of minutes to spare. I thought of the time three years ago when I thought Ikuto had died, when I almost got a heart attack:

_"You could go see him, but..." said Mrs. Yumori, shaking her head. She opened the door for Rima and me, and we went into the room._

_At first I was afraid to go in, but Rima pushed me inside, nodding her head. I breathed in and out as I walked over towards the single bed in the room. Ikuto looked like he was peacefully sleeping, but I knew what the result was going to turn out to be. I was too afraid to believe. I couldn't believe. I turned around from the bed, not able to stand it anymore..._

_Then suddenly, without warning, something grasped me from behind, and pulled me in with it. I shrieked, and turned around to see Ikuto looking at me mischievously. I stared at him, wondering at first if he was a ghost..._

_"Why are you so dumbstruck? Aren't you glad I'm alive?" asked Ikuto, smirking at my surprised expression._

_I looked at Rima for advice, but she looked just as surprised as me. Mrs. Yumori came in, smiling at all of us._

_"Thank you Mrs. Yumori. For keeping it a secret" Ikuto said._

_"No problem. You better tell Amu the truth though. You seemed to have given her a heart attack" said Mrs. Yumori, trying not to laugh._

_"What's this all about?" asked Rima, confused._

_"Isn't it funny? I thought you kids would all laugh in the end" said Souko, suddenly entering the room. She was smiling for the first time in a while._

_"It was an act. Ikuto wished to surprise you" said my mom, coming in with Utau._

_"A...what?" I asked, still too confused to speak._

_"An act. I'm not dead. I'm pretty much alive. The surgery was a great success. You should really be thanking me that you're-" said Ikuto, before I interrupted him._

_"You know how surprised I was? You know how worried Rima and I were? Did you even care to think about us? You're such a jerk" I said, shouting at the top of my lungs._

_"I told you she wouldn't laugh over it" said Utau, shaking her head._

_"I'm okay, but you better apologize to Amu. She was so surprised" said Rima, getting over her shock a little bit._

_"I can't believe you actually believed-" said Ikuto, before I interrupted him once more._

_"Alright, if you promise me not to lie to me like this ever again, then I'll forgive you" I said, secretly relieved that Ikuto was okay._

_"No, I can't promise" said Ikuto._

_"Why not?" I asked._

_"I have to tease you at least once a day, and if I promise that then I can't. By the way, you smell kind of weird. When did you shower?" asked Ikuto, obviously teasing me again._

_Everyone laughed at us, while I glared at Ikuto, trying to think up of a good comeback..._

I laughed a little at the memory myself, and then got up, resuming my search. I soon gave up, and looked at the big airport clock. It was almost time. I decided to use the only way left. I got my violin out of its case, and started playing the music I had composed myself. I had completely memorized it by now. The notes weren't perfect, but it was perfect enough.

The notes flowed out, and soon a crowd of people gathered around me. I searched for Ikuto, looking at the crowd of people, but there was no sign of Ikuto. Had he already gone in? Was I too late? The piece was almost ending, and I was about to give up, when I heard another sound right beside me. It was the sound of Ikuto's violin.

I turned around, and realized it was Ikuto. He seemed to be playing the perfect harmony for my song. I stopped my playing, and looked at Ikuto.

"What are you doing? You should end the piece you know. Not look at me as if I'm a big hotdog" said Ikuto, looking at me mischievously once more.

"I was not looking at you like that. I was just...surprised" I said, getting ready to finish the song. A lot of people whispered to each other, wondering what we were trying to do.

The notes soon stopped flowing out, and the piece ended. The audience clapped for us, and I smiled. The crowd soon left, and Ikuto grabbed my hand as soon as I put away my violin back in my case.

"What-Ikuto, where are you dragging me to?" I asked, wondering why he was hurrying me.

"If you have a brain, think. This place is not a place where you can freely play your violin. The guards might catch you, and...Who knows what might happen next" said Ikuto, smiling down at me.

"You seem to be teasing me again..." I said, rolling my eyes.

"I'm serious" said Ikuto, looking at me with a face that wasn't serious at all.

He had brought me to this garden near the airport. Nobody seemed to be wandering around, and it seemed to be a place where only Ikuto knew about.

"Isn't your plane leaving in thirty minutes? You better get going" I said, turning around.

"Is that how you treat a person you won't be seeing for a couple of years?" asked Ikuto, sounding a little offended.

"In my definition, yes" I said, turning back around to face Ikuto.

"By the way, that piece of music...was good...but you played it horribly. I'll give you a one out of ten" said Ikuto, ignoring my last comment.

"Excuse me? You know how many hours I spent to perfect that piece of music? You should learn to be more thankful!" I said, disappointed that I couldn't express what I wanted to Ikuto.

"It wasn't perfect, though. You can keep my violin. You'll need it to make good music. There was much space for improvement. If you beg me, I might be nice enough to be your tutor when I come back" said Ikuto, smiling as he handed me his violin case.

"How are you going to participate in concerts without your violin? Isn't it kind of impossible?" I asked, forgetting my anger for a moment.

"It is possible if you give me your violin" said Ikuto.

"Wait. Why do _I _have to trade _my_ violin with someone like _you_?" I asked, befuddled.

"Isn't the answer obvious? The more you play the violin, the better the sound gets. I had my violin for a long time, so the sound is good. I'll give it to you, since you play like you're a complete amateur. I'll take your violin, since it sounds...well bad" said Ikuto, telling me this as if it was all too obvious.

"Okay..." I said, slowly handing him my violin.

"Alright, now you finally understand-" said Ikuto, before I interrupted him again.

"Isn't it important for you to have a good violin, since your going all the way to Europe for your concerts? I'm still a beginner so I don't really need-" I said, suddenly realizing what I had to say all at once.

"I want you to have it. Just keep it, and _don't _break it. Make music for me" said Ikuto, smiling for real. Ikuto's smiles were always mischievous, but this one was different. It was a real smile, and I understood all at once what Ikuto was trying to say.

I nodded my head, and said, "I will."

I was giving him my violin for real when it happened. He leaned forward and kissed me. This time for real, and not by mistake.

I stood there shocked while he received my violin, and walked away without saying another word. I stood there like that for quite a while, as Ikuto disappeared around the corner.

I'll admit it. I couldn't blush. Not even move. I was frozen right where I was in shock. Everything was silent except the rustling of the leaves, and the wind peacefully blowing through my hair. That was when something fell out of Ikuto's violin. I guessed Ikuto had stuck it in there. I had just enough energy to pick up the letter, fold it open, and read it:

_Dear Amu,_

_The first time I heard about you, I thought I wasn't going to like you at all. Not even as a friend. But you were different from anybody else I ever met. You accepted me, didn't lose hope, and even made friends with Utau and Rima. Most of all, you shone. Maybe you didn't notice this yourself, but your heart seemed to shine. Something inside you changed me. You changed me. Thank you for everything you gave me, and in return I'll give you my soul. Of, course I'll ask for yours in return. Also, don't break it._

_I love you_

_-Ikuto_

I smiled gently at the letter. Ikuto's soul was his violin... What I had wanted to express through my song had been received. My true feelings. The memories I shared with Ikuto will always be inside me, and I will always wait for Ikuto's return. I knew he would come back soon. What had been unlocked so many years ago, had resolved. No, this was just the beginning. I will be the one to decide when it will end. There may not be an ending at all. I will no longer rely on fate anymore.

Anything I believe is eternal.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! The story ends today! Did you understand everything? If not, please tell me. I kind of made this last chapter confusing, but I'm satisfied with the ending. Thank you to all of the readers that read this story until now and to all the reviewers that gave me advice and encouragements. Thank you everyone!<strong>


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